Forty-One Days
by Ande883
Summary: Three years after the Night-howler case, Nick and Judy are loving life together. However, one tragic night makes Nick aware of something: He is going to die. Their relationship will be tested like never before, and both will learn to face their fears, no matter what it takes. Remastering begins 10/03/2017.
1. I Hate Mondays

**Remastered - 10/03/2017**

* * *

 _My name is Nicholas Wilde, I am 35 years old, the year is 2019, and I am going to die._

Nick awoke to the sound of his alarm clock beeping. _Mondays..._ he thought to himself. He had always hated Mondays. Nick never had to get up to go to work in his life, at least not until he had met that clever bunny. Judy... his partner, his girlfriend, his everything, really, lying right next to him, only just now being woken up by the sound of the alarm yawned and stretched her arms as she was brought into the reality of being awake. Nick reached over to the nightstand and slammed his fist down on top of the clock to shut the alarm off.

"Have I ever told you how much I've come to hate Mondays, Carrots?" Nick said, yawning away the last bits of grogginess in his voice.

"Only every Monday, you dumb fox," Judy said jokingly.

"Well, it's true. I have a burning, fiery hatred for Mondays. I mean, I just get light-headed thinking about getting up on Mondays. In fact, I'm slightly light-headed now that I've done it."

"Oh stop it. You know you only make them worse by complaining about them all the time," Judy said sarcastically. "I'm sure today will go down in history as the worst Monday ever, just like last Monday?"

"It will, absolutely, one hundred percent," Nick said.

"Well at least try and make it enjoyable. We've got a big day today."

Judy always said that whenever Nick was less than thrilled to get up in the morning, no matter what they were to do that day as if she was secretly telling him that he still had to try to make the world a better place. Judy opened the door to their apartment and they walked out, Nick following her. They walked down the many steps and then out onto the sidewalk and began the journey to the subway station a couple of blocks away.

"Did you hear that the chief is thinking of retiring?" Judy said.

"Really?" Nick said with quite a bit of surprise in his voice. "I would have thought he'd keep at it for at least five more years."

"No, he thinks he's getting too old. But honestly, I think it might be for the best if he does. I wouldn't want him to work himself too hard."

Nick couldn't argue with that. He figured that job was stressful enough to age anyone enough to eventually force them to quit sooner than expected. But if that was the case, Bogo sure didn't show any signs of wear other than some gray furs, but Nick felt that he had a pretty big part in those.

"It is probably the best for him," Nick said. "And probably for the rest of us, too. Have you noticed how much he seems to have slowed down? I honestly don't think he even minds my constant picking on him. That should tell you it's time to retire more than anything," Nick joked. Judy agreed, knowing how much Bogo disliked her partner when he first started. But even as much as he appeared to hate him, she figured Bogo still had a bit of a soft spot for Nick.

"Who do you think should take his place?" Judy questioned.

"I don't know, DelGato maybe. He's always seemed like a pretty good leader."

"I could see that. He's got the characteristics of a police chief," she said.

Nick and Judy made it to the station just in time to board. They took their places in the middle, standing up. The subway began to move, rocking everyone on the subway back a little bit. Nick stood, feeling a bit light-headed still. Was he tired? Sick? He couldn't quite put his paw on it. He had stayed up later than usual last night, but then again, there had been a cold going around the ZPD for the last few days. _That's probably it…_ Nick thought.

The thoughts left Nick's head as the subway made it to their stop. Nick looked up, realizing that he had spaced out for the entire duration of the commute. He shifted his head back and forth, wondering if he was maybe confusing this for another stop, but he wasn't. The trip that usually took about fifteen minutes felt to him like mere seconds. Nick stepped off the subway with Judy and they walked together the rest of the way to the precinct, greeting a group of officers standing outside as they opened the door to the expansive lobby. Taking in the sights for what felt like the millionth time, their eyes instantly went to Clawhauser, who was currently distracted by the box of donuts sitting half-empty on his desk.

"Morning Ben!" Judy said, "Have a good weekend?"

The big cat leaned over the desk to actually see the two tiny officers, smiling upon meeting their eyes. "Oh, it was pretty typical. I pretty much just sat around, doing nothing like usual. Oh! Did you hear? Chief Bogo was going to announce something today. Have any idea of what it could be about?"

"We both think he's about to retire. He'd mentioned something about it last week to us, but we weren't sure how serious he was about it." Judy said.

"Well, be sure to let me know what he says!" Clawhauser exclaimed. "Have a good rest of the day!"

"You too!" Nick and Judy said at the same time. Giving Ben a wave, they started off towards the bullpen. Walking into the room, Nick and Judy instantly felt much smaller than they were. It was a feeling that had plagued them both ever since they started, but never seemed to go away, but they figured getting used to a massive size difference wasn't really possible. Even so, it never really bothered them. Nick and Judy both took their seats at the front of the room as usual as they waited for the chief to do roll call. As they became situated in their seats, Chief Bogo walked into the room.

"Alright, everyone shut it!" Bogo yelled as he got up to the podium, the veins in his neck seeming to bulge out even more than they normally did. The first time Nick had verbally pointed that out, he received a pretty good yelling at later that day.

"We've got a few items on the docket today. First off, I want to put the rumors to rest. I am not going to be retiring… before the end of the year. At least that is the plan. But it is likely that after the first of the year, I will be seriously looking for someone to replace me. Second, there will be a meeting for…" Nick stopped listening at this point. He began to feel like he was going to pass out, his head buzzing and his vision blurring to the point of seeing nothing but mushed together colors. What was going on with him? Why did he keep feeling like this? Despite him being puzzled by the strange feelings he was getting, he remained vigilant in staying awake, shaking his head a little to keep his attention.

"...And finally, assignments! DelGato, Higgins, Wolford… Sahara Square Swat! Hopps, Wilde… Savannah Central Patrol!" As Bogo said their names, both Nick and Judy stood up, saluted, and then walked out while Bogo continued giving out assignments. Arriving at their car, Nick hopped in the driver's seat and turned the key to hear the engine roar to life while Judy struggled into the passenger seat. Nick put it in drive and began to drive away from the station.

Judy looked at Nick. "What was going on in there?" she asked.

"What?" Nick asked, puzzled by her ambiguous question.

"You were pretty much asleep throughout most of that. Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"You were the same way on the train, too. When did you get to bed last night?" she asked.

"It was about eleven… maybe eleven thirty. Later than usual but still… I wouldn't have expected to feel like this." Nick said with a yawn.

"Well just be careful. We don't need you falling asleep at the wheel."

"I'll do my best," Nick said

"Nick…" Judy said with that tone Nick always hated. Judy seemed to be able to sense when something was wrong like she could smell it. As far as Nick knew, nothing was out of the ordinary other than him being a little tired. But the way she said his name… she sounded so disturbed. It reminded Nick of his mother when she said his name that way. He recalled the countless times he'd gotten in trouble as a kit. He would always hear his mother say his name with that tone, and he would immediately know that she'd found out about whatever it was that he did.

 _I really was troublesome..._ Nick thought to himself with a silent chuckle.

* * *

The rest of the day went by without incident. A couple speeding tickets and a noise complaint were pretty standard for the area, leaving no surprise that they were able to leave at a pretty standard time. Nick and Judy drove back to the station to end the day.

"Is it still the worst Monday in history?" Judy asked.

"No, unfortunately, I was wrong about that," Nick said. "I guess next Monday will just have to be worse."

"Let's not have that be true. I'd rather have my Monday's be enjoyable."

Nick pulled the patrol car into its spot in the garage and turned the car off. Both Nick and Judy got out of the car at the same time. They walked into the station and into their separate locker rooms to gather their belongings before going out to eat. Nick walked up to his locker and twisted the combination into the lock. He opened the door, grabbed his bag and shut it.

"So how'd things go today, Wilde?" said a mysterious voice.

Nick turned around to see Officer Faxon Howlson had also entered the room.

"Oh, it was pretty standard. Nothing interesting to report. How about you?"

"It got a bit interesting around 3 o'clock today. We received a report of a _very_ intoxicated mammal walking in the middle of Main and Forrest Avenue. We got there and the first thing I saw was a weasel fall flat on his face he was so drunk. He got back up and kept trying to walk but we stopped him before he hurt himself too badly."

"Lucky you. Sounded like a good time." Nick said while putting the lock back on his locker.

"Oh it was, trust me. Hey, are you doing anything tonight? The guys and I were going to go to the bar and hang, interested?"

"Sorry, I can't. Today makes three years Judy and I have known each other. She likes to go out to eat every year to celebrate."

"I gotcha, hoes before bros, totally..." Howlson said jokingly.

"Oh shut up, dude. You know how it is with us." Nick said slightly irritated.

"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you. Everyone at the station thinks you two are perfect for each other. I personally can't think of a better match myself. Don't let that kind of stuff get to you too much."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow?" Nick said.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, both of them left the locker room.

Judy walked into the locker room, opened her locker and grabbed her stuff. She shut the door and saw Officer Jackson enter the room.

"Oh hey! How was today?" Judy asked

"Oh don't even get me started. I've never had to deal with so many complaints from people in my life," she said.

"Don't worry, Jessie, I was in your position about three years ago. I know exactly how you feel.

"Yeah, but parking duty is just the worst. Everyone thinks you're out to get them and purposely make their day bad."

"That's just what people think. You shouldn't worry about parking duty too much longer anyway. You've been on the force for what, almost three months?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, hopefully, I can get some proper assignments soon. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?" Jessie asked.

"Oooh, I can't. Nick and I are going out to Ray's Tied House for our three year anniversary. We met three years ago today, but it seems like it was just yesterday though."

"Really, I had no idea you two knew each other that long. How long have you been official though?"

"Only about a year, but what a year it was. Mostly filled with weird looks, but everyone here thinks were perfect for each other."

"That's because you are perfect together. I've never seen any two mammals who were more made for each other than you."

"Thanks, Jessie. I need all the encouragement I can get. Nick can be irritating, but I think that's what I love about him the most." Judy said.

"Yeah, that's great, Judy. I'm really happy for you two. Well, I've got to get going. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yup! You too!" Judy said as they walked out of the locker room. Judy saw Nick leaning against the wall, on his phone waiting for her to get out.

"Ready to go?" she asked. Nick looked up and put his phone in his pocket.

"I'm always ready. Let's do this." Nick said excited for what was to come.

Nick had made a tradition of going to Ray's Tied House since Judy mentioned they should celebrate them knowing each other for one year. This was Nick and Judy's favorite place to eat, even if it was outrageously expensive. It was a good place for special occasions. Judy grabbed Nick's paw and they left the station.

"Are we going back the apartment before Ray's?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, our reservation isn't until seven," Nick said.

"Ok," Judy said. She took hold of Nick's arm and squeezed it tightly as they walked towards the subway station. They hopped on the subway and began the journey back home.

"Who was that wolf you were talking to?" Nick asked.

"Oh, that was Jessie Jackson. She's been on the force for three months so you probably don't know her." Judy said.

"I've never even seen her around."

"That's because she's got the privilege of driving the joke mobile. I kinda feel bad for her because she reminds me of myself when I had to do that."

"Wait! She has to drive that!? How does she fit in it? She's like ten times your size!" Nick exclaimed.

"The ZPD has more than one of those, silly," Judy said.

"I guess that would make sense."

"Dumb fox…" Judy said under her breath. Nick gave Judy a look. He had definitely heard that. Judy looked out the window as if she had not said anything and was completely oblivious to the situation.

"You, are a not-so-sneaky bunny," Nick said.

"Oh, shush. You can handle it." Judy said.

" Oh, I don't know if I can anymore. I might just keel over right here because of how offended I am!" Nick said with plenty of sarcasm. The subway began to slow down and a female voice announced the next few stops, theirs being next. It came to a stop and the doors opened with a hiss. Nick and Judy stepped out of the subway and began walking towards their apartment.

"I think I'm going to take a nap when we get back. I feel like I'm going to pass out." Nick said.

"You go ahead. I'll be getting ready for tonight." Judy said.

"You've got almost two hours before we have to leave. Is it really going to take you that long?"

"Do you want me to look like I just left work, or do you want the beautiful bunny you can't resist?" Judy said.

"Good point. But can we have a little time before we leave?"

"Why?" Judy asked.

"Oh, you'll see, Carrots." Judy looked at Nick and their eyes locked. They stood in front of the door to the apartment, just looking into each other's eyes. Nick pulled out the keys, opened the door and they both walked inside, Judy going straight to the bathroom. Nick walked over to the couch and laid down closing his eyes. He heard Judy shut the door to the bathroom, the sounds of music leaking through the door, a small voice singing along with it.

Nick looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the night to come. There was something about Judy that just made Nick feel like the luckiest fox on the planet. _Maybe everyone is right..._ Nick thought. He recalled what Howlson had said to him. Maybe they were perfect for each other. Nick loved Judy, but he didn't see them as the perfect match. They had plenty of arguments, but together they just seemed to work.

Not everyone saw them that way, though. Over the year they had been official, Nick had seen plenty of dirty looks, pointed fingers, and overall confused looks from other mammals. Nick was a fox, and Judy was a rabbit, predator and prey, fire and gasoline. Most people saw complete polar opposites, typically dangerous if too close to each other. Nick and everyone at the station saw things differently. They worked well together. _Like peanut butter and jelly..._ he thought. Nick let out a soft chuckle when he thought of the metaphor. It caused him to momentarily think about both of them dressed as a jar of peanut butter and jelly. Nick's eyes began to slowly close, him at first protesting, but then letting them shut, and all went to black.

* * *

Nick's eyes shot open. How long had he been asleep? He looked at his phone, reading just a little past six o'clock. _Perfect timing..._ he thought to himself. Nick sat up on the couch. He glanced over at the bathroom door, still closed, but now only silence came from the small room. She must have been almost finished with her preparation for the evening. Nick stood up and walked over to the coffee table and plugged his phone into the wall charger. As he did this, the door to the bathroom opened up. Judy walked out, looking like nothing Nick had ever seen before.

"Wow… maybe I should let you take your time more often," he said, stunned by the beauty that stood before him. Judy never really liked getting all dolled up just to go out to eat, but today was clearly special.

"So, Officer Wilde. What was it you wanted to do before we left?" Judy said with a flirtatious tone. Nick walked up to Judy. She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. Nick leaned forward, their lips making contact. Nick's paws moved up to caress Judy's shoulders. Judy held his tie in one hand and one hand under his chin. They moved apart from each other, seemingly staring into each other's souls.

"You read my mind," Nick said.

"Well, I am a pretty clever bunny."

"You speak only the truth Officer Hopps. Now let's go eat. I'm so hungry I could eat an entire rabbit." Judy looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"Wait, you're not going to change?" Judy asked.

"I suppose I probably should…" Nick said, still slightly groggy from sleep. Nick walked into their room and Judy followed him. She stood in the doorway while he looked through his closet.

"Do you like this shirt?" Nick asked, holding up a simple short sleeved, dark grey button up.

"Yeah, but only if you wear your new jeans. It looks better with the dark ones."

"Good looking _and_ a sense of fashion? How did I get so lucky?" Nick said.

"You just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Judy said, only realizing the truth behind her statement after she spoke it. Nick put on the shirt and pants and grabbed his phone.

"Alright. Let's go eat!" Nick exclaimed.

Judy opened the door to their apartment. Nick walked out after her and he shut the door, locking it and walking away. They walked down the stairs to the main floor and out the door into the cool evening air. Nick began to feel light-headed as he did earlier that day, but this was hitting him more like a freight train.

Nick stopped and stood still. His mind pondered frantically for what could possibly be happening, but it was all fading away so quickly. His conscious was clouded with an uncertainty and fear that he had never felt before, one that managed to put fear in his heart.

Judy had continued walking, only realizing that Nick stopped after she had made several more paces away from him. Finally noticing that her fox wasn't by her side, she turned around, confused with a hint of fear seeing him standing completely still and eyes wide with panic.

"Nick…" she asked fearfully, not fully understanding what was going on. That made both of them.

One quick glance toward Judy was all he managed before he fell to his knees. Judy watched in petrifying shock as her partner's eyes rolled into the back of his head and fell to the sidewalk unconscious. She ran to his side, tears streaming down her face and screaming for help.

* * *

 **Update: 10/03/2017 - Hope things seem a little cleaner this time around. I gotta say, it is nice to relive the days when I was a young, inexperienced writer, even if it does make me cringe seeing how bad things were. A little clarification: I'm going to be keeping the plot all the same, only fixing mistakes and making things sound better. It will still be the same story ;)**


	2. News

**Remastered - 10/18/2017**

* * *

The days had passed just as usual for everyone in the world. But Judy, she was terrified of every little thing. The night Nick passed out on the side of the road did more to her than she let on. She never expected something like that to happen, but then again, no one ever does.

Thankfully, she was not the only one out there when it happened. One of their neighbors, a Bengal tiger… what was his name again? She couldn't remember, but she didn't think it ever really came up. They didn't know him too well but said hello whenever they saw him in the hallways of their apartment. He found Judy kneeling and sobbing over Nick and did as much as he could to help them, calling an ambulance and then giving Judy a ride to the hospital. She would have thanked him, but her mind was so preoccupied with… things. Bad things.

Now, Judy and Nick sat next to each other in the waiting room. Nick was so pensive she could feel it, like the drumming of an elephant's heartbeat. She was the same way though. The tests had been done while Nick was in the hospital, and now they were waiting for the results. A nurse walked through the door to the waiting room and called, "Mr. Wilde, the doctor will see you, now."

"Ok," came his voice, quiet and weak. Giving Judy a quick, fearful glance, he took her paw and they walked into the doctor's office

The nurse led them to the correct room where they took a seat in front of his desk. Nick felt the wooden chair, the oak was smooth beneath his pads and cool to the touch. Nick didn't realize it, but he had been staring at the top of the desk in front of him for quite some time, oblivious to the stag and the bunny staring at him.

"Mr. Wilde," the doctor said, bringing Nick's attention from everything else to him.

"Oh, sorry," Nick apologized. He rubbed at his eyes, hoping to regain some focus on reality, but his mind stayed in a very dark place which caused him to lose his grip on the real world every so often.

"It's quite alright. I imagine you've been quite nervous." Nick nodded his head up and down. "We've got the results back."

Nick gulped down a massive lump in his throat. This was it.

"People react to this news very differently, so I just need to get it out there…. The tests were positive for an aggressive, late-stage primary cardiac tumor. Mr. Wilde, you have heart cancer."

Judy heard, but she didn't believe. Nick? Cancer? It couldn't be, there was just no way this could be happening to them… they were just getting started with life. She tried to look at Nick through her tear-filled eyes, but he only came back as a blur of russet fur and blue from his shirt. She blinked, causing the tears to fall away from her eyes and reveal a version of Nick that she had never seen before.

Eyes stuck open and fearful, glazed over with uncertainty. His mouth hung open ever so slightly to give the world a fleeting glimpse of his quivering tongue and lips. His heart rate had slowed to almost nothing, but it was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it. He looked afraid.

"It can be a lot to process, but there is something else that I must tell you." Judy looked back to the stag and envied his calm, emotionless attitude. She didn't want to feel like such a cry-baby right now, even if this was some terrible news. She wanted to be strong, strong for Nick.

"Unfortunately, the cancer was found very late. I'm baffled that you didn't feel symptoms earlier. Because of that, it is terminal. I will give you at most, two months. Mr. Wilde, Ms. Hopps, I'm terribly sorry…"

 _Two months…. I'm going to die…. Two months, and I'm going to die…._

"Nick…" Judy said. He didn't respond.

"Nick," she said louder. He shuddered and looked around as if he'd just been released from a trance. He looked down at her, not saying anything.

"I'll leave you two alone for now. Please take the time to process this carefully. It's important not to do anything rash." With that, the doctor left the room. Nick opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it before he could speak.

"Nick, we have to do something about this. We have to be able to do something. I…." She stopped. Judy became distracted by Nick. He was just… staring at her, like he was trying to memorize every little detail of this moment, from the way her nose twitched ever so slightly, to how her fur danced back and forth with each movement of her head.

"I don't know what to do, Carrots. I'm just trying to figure out what just happened." Nick didn't know what else to say, so he just looked down into his folded paws. The tears began to well up in his eyes. Judy felt tears grow larger and larger until they too ran down her cheeks.

The two came together for a hug and Nick began lightly sobbing, patting Judy softly on her back. They said nothing to each other. It was maybe ten minutes after the doctor left that they finally left as well. Nick had his arm around Judy and she was holding his paw, holding onto it like he would disappear if she let go.

They walked out of the hospital and into the warm summer air. They walked all the way to their apartment from the hospital, as silent as possible. Neither of them had the energy nor the willpower to strike up a conversation. When they arrived at their apartment, Nick walked to the entrance of their bedroom and turned back to her.

"I'm going to do a little reflection… alone, if that's alright." Nick said quietly. Judy did not reply, so Nick walked into their room and shut the door. Judy walked out on the balcony and slid the glass door behind her. Just as she did this, her phone began ringing. She looked to see it was her mother requesting Muzzle Time. Even though she really did not want to talk, and even though she was in no place to be talking, she answered.

"Hey sweetheart, how have things been going?" her mother questioned.

 _Oh crap!_ she thought. Judy had been so preoccupied with the events of the last few days that she forgot to tell her parents what happened earlier that week.

"Life sucks right now mom. I completely forgot to talk to you about this."

"What's going on Judy?" Bonnie asked, feeling concerned.

"On Monday, Nick collapsed while we were walking to the subway station. He spent the night in the hospital while they did tests. The results came back today and we just found out... Nick has heart cancer. They are giving him two months. They said they found it late so there's nothing they can do for him, not that there would have been anything to do regardless." Bonnie looked confused and petrified at the same time, not really believing what she had just heard.

"Oh, my… I really shouldn't have called." Bonnie said

"No, mom, it's fine really. You were going to find out this way sooner or later." Judy said, trying her hardest not to cry.

"Listen, I'm not going to make you talk about it anymore. I'll let you go now."

"Ok, mom," Judy said. "I love you…"

" I love you too," Bonnie said, holding back tears. The call ended and Judy put her phone in her pocket. She sat down on the balcony and looked up at the blue sky, wishing that today had never happened. Judy's eyes closed, and within minutes everything went black.

* * *

Judy awoke to the sound of the sliding door opening. Nick walked out, staring at his feet. He took a seat on the balcony next to Judy.

"So… do you want to talk about earlier?" he said with a quiet voice.

"Nick, I'm not sure what to do. There's nothing we can do," Judy said.

"I know. That's the part I'm still trying to understand, but we have to… be ready. We need to be… prepared… for the worst."

"I'm just so scared, Nick. I really don't know how to react." Judy said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I know… I am too." Nick knelt in front of Judy, putting his paw on her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You will be okay, Carrots. We still have time." Judy became angry.

"No! Nick. I won't be okay! You are going to die, and I'm going to be all alone! I'm scared for what's to come... I, I don't want to lose you!" Judy wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, sobbing heavily. Nick could tell that Judy was not going to accept the facts, at least she didn't want to right now. He hugged her back and held back tears of his own.

"Listen… Judy… I know you don't want to lose me. I'm not exactly thrilled either, but we need to stay hopeful." Nick said, hoping that Judy would calm down. He hated seeing her cry. Nick remembered the first time he had seen her cry, under the bridge. He remembered how hard it was for him to not start crying with her. Nick wanted her to know how much he hurt inside, how much he feared his last moments would be without her.

"I don't want to lose you, Judy. I don't know if you will be by my side when my time comes to pass, and I won't lie to you, that's my biggest fear, that you won't be with me until the end. I don't want this to be the end of us. It can't be. We need each other more than ever now." Nick began softly sobbing. His emotions were getting the better of him, but he didn't care. "We can make it through this together."

"You really think so?" Judy said, wiping the tears from her beautiful violet eyes. Nick stared into her eyes, fully realizing just how beautiful her eyes were. Nick looked at Judy as if it was the first time, taking in the exquisite beauty that sat before him. Judy, now sitting normally in her chair, stared back into Nick's piercing green eyes. Both of them leaned forward, lips touching in delicate passion. Nick's arms wrapped around Judy and her arms went around his neck. They moved apart, breaking the kiss, looked into each other's eyes once again, and moved back in for another kiss as if this was the last time they would be together. Nick moved away, still staring into Judy's eyes.

"I know so," he said. Judy stood up, motioning for Nick to get up as well. They walked back into their apartment, knowing very well that they had nothing to fear.

They slid the door closed behind them. Judy felt better about the situation, but she couldn't help still feeling scared. She had all the reason to feel this way, that was for sure, but Nick had shown her that she didn't need to be scared. Nick plopped on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Judy hopped up onto the couch and leaned her head against Nick's side.

"Ya know what, Carrots?" Nick said. "We never got to go to Ray's. How about some drinks to ease the moment?"

Judy looked up at Nick."I thought you'd never ask," she said. Nick stood up and Judy got up along with him.

"I think we'd better go if we're going to do this. They're going to be getting busy soon," Nick said.

"We can wait a little bit. I think we both deserve to just sit down here for a bit." Nick hated to admit it, but that did sound good. He'd spent the last couple days laying in a hospital bed, not getting out of it until last night, then going right back to the hospital to hear the worst news of his life.

He sank back into the couch, relaxing his entire body. He laid back, put his paws behind his head and let out a big sigh of relief. Judy put one of her paws on his chest, feeling his heartbeat and the rising and falling of his breathing. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Nick loved being this close to Judy. He always felt like nothing could go wrong. He looked at Judy, once again seeing just how beautiful she was.

Nick looked at his partner like it was the last he would ever get to see her. She looked up and their eyes met.

 _Damn…_ Nick thought when he caught glimpse of her lavender eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful your eyes are?" Nick said.

"Not really. I mean, sure, people have commented on how nice the color is, but I've never heard anyone say it like that." Judy said. She could feel her ears go red.

"Well, it's true. And not just about your eyes. _You_ are beautiful. All of you. Every aspect of you, from your eyes to the way that you brighten up a room just by walking in. Don't ever let any of that change, Carrots. Never let anything take that away from you."

"Nick…" Judy didn't know what to say. She'd never heard words like that. Judy got closer to Nick. He looked down so his muzzle was touching the top of her head. They stayed in the embrace of each other for what seemed an eternity. An eternity that neither of them wanted to end.

Judy broke the silence. "Alright, Slick. I'm going to get ready." Judy said as she hopped down from the couch and into the bathroom. Nick got up and just sat for a moment, taking the time to remember and cherish that moment. Nick stood up and went into their bedroom. He walked by his desk, seeing his paper from earlier.

"Can't have her seeing that just yet…" Nick whispered to himself. He grabbed the paper and put it in the small filing cabinet beneath his desk. Nick walked over to the large walk-in closet, opened the door and turned the light on. Nick looked on the right side where he had all of his clothes. Nick figured that since tonight was going to be extra special, he'd wear something a bit more formal. Nick found a long-sleeved, maroon dress shirt, a black bowtie, and a pair of black slacks.

He grabbed his suit jacket as well just to complete the look. He put on his shiny black shoes and looked in the mirror. It wasn't really his style, but he had to admit that he felt proud of what he picked. He decided to leave the room before Judy walked in to get dressed. Nick walked back out into the living room and leaned up against the wall, being sure not to wrinkle his jacket. He heard the door to the bathroom open and Judy walked straight from the bathroom to their room. Nick pulled out his phone to see a message from Clawhauser.

 **Clawhauser: I hope everything went well this morning...**

 **Nick: Things really can't be much worse, but right now everything is ok.**

 **Clawhauser: I don't like the sound of that. Please tell me that everything is good…**

 **Nick: Unfortunately no. I'll tell everyone on Monday.**

 **Clawhauser: Ok :(**

Nick put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the clock on the wall, reading 4:37. Hopefully, they could get seats right away. Bar seats wouldn't be bad but Nick wanted to get an actual table. Going to Ray's without a reservation was nearly impossible, but if they were early enough, they should have no problem. Judy walked out of the bedroom. Nick looked over at her, seeing her in a maroon dress. Nick stared at her, amazed at how wonderful she looked.

"Great minds think alike," she said, nodding to Nick's shirt. Nick smiled. The dress was perfect. It left one leg significantly more exposed than the other; the perfect blend of class and sexiness. It was plenty long having a little bit of material lying on the floor behind her. What's more, it made her eyes stand out even more, giving her a radiating glow of extravagant beauty.

"I see. This is a nice surprise," Nick said, still stunned by the way she looked. Judy walked towards Nick. Nick looked at her, offering his arm to her. She reached up and held on and they walked out the door.

* * *

Nick and Judy made it to the front of Ray's Tied House. It was a rather large building, constructed in a way to make it appear as a large cabin in the mountains. The use of cobblestones on the exterior gave it a genuine feeling. Nick and Judy walked inside, where the theme of the exterior merged with that of a modern home. A rustic but refined atmosphere surrounded them. Nick and Judy stood in front of a podium where they awaited seating. A wolf walked by and saw the two standing there.

"Hi, welcome to Ray's Tied House. Do you have a reservation?"

"No, we don't," Nick said.

"Alright. Let me see if we have any available seating," The waiter looked down at the podium, scrolled on a touchscreen a couple of times then looked up,

"Is it just going to be a party of two?" The wolf asked.

"Yep, it's just us," Nick said.

"Ok, I'll have you two follow me," and they began following the wolf back to their seats. The wolf led them to a small round table right next to a tall window. "I can go ahead and get you some drinks…" the wolf said.

Nick took only a few seconds to order his drink, his usual scotch and soda. Judy ordered a simple glass of carrot juice as well as an extra glass of ice water. The waiter nodded and left to go get their drinks. Nick looked at Judy with a grin on his face.

"What?" Judy asked.

"Did you see the look on his face when he first saw us? He was so confused." Nick said, holding back a slight giggle.

"I didn't even notice," Judy said. "I kept getting a glare from that doe over there." Judy motioned behind her. Nick looked over to see a doe quickly turn her head away from the two. "I think she's jealous of my dress, or maybe the fox that's sitting across from me…. Or maybe both…" Judy said with a sarcastic tone.

"I imagine it's both. She gave me a bit of a death stare when we first walked in. Not that there wouldn't be a reason to be jealous… of us." Nick said sarcastically. He was right. There most definitely was a reason to be jealous. They were perfect together.

"You always know what to say to put a smile on my face," Judy said.

"I don't know about that, but I try at least."

"It works more often than you think, Nick." The waiter came back with the drinks and set them on the table.

"Can I get you two anything to eat?"

"We'll just have a small order of cheese curds for now," Nick said, "Oh and can you get a glass of Merlot for the lady?"

"Absolutely, sir." the waiter said. Judy gave Nick a glare, not unlike the one the doe gave them.

"Nick, you know I don't drink."

"Awww, come on, Carrots. Have a little bit of fun tonight. Let's try to have a good time."

"You can be such a pain sometimes…" Judy said, holding back a smile. After a couple of minutes, the waiter came back with Judy's drink.

"I've got the Merlot," he said. Judy looked up at him and he placed the glass in front of her. Judy picked up the glass and put it to her lips, taking a small sip. She set the glass down and analyzed the flavor. She put a clenched paw up to her chest as the alcohol burned in her throat.

"That is quite the feeling," Judy said while letting out a small cough. "Good flavor, but does it have to burn so much?"

"Do you want to try a sip of my scotch?" Nick said jokingly.

"Pass," Judy said with a giggle.

"Well, Carrots. We've known each other for three years now. I'd like to propose a toast." Nick and Judy both raised their glasses. "That the remainder of our time together is filled with nothing but good memories." Nick and Judy touched glasses and they both took a drink.

"I think I could get used to this stuff," Judy said.

"Oh, now you like it. I can't seem to do anything right can I?" Nick said sarcastically.

"You know what I meant."

"Well, on another note, I've always thought of what would have happened had we not met," Nick said. Judy herself had considered this on a few occasions over the past three years.

"While I hate to say it, you'd probably not be here right now," Judy said.

"Elaborate, please," Nick said, staring intently at Judy wanting to hear what she had to say.

"Well, think about it. Had I not been a prejudiced ass-hat, Bellwether would likely still be in power because I would have never had the help to solve the Nighthowler case. She would have gotten every predator in Zootopia, including you."

"Well let's not forget that you wouldn't be a cop either. Had you not had the help of an expert detective like moi," Nick said while pointing at his grinning face. "You would have failed to solve the case in 48 hours, or rather at all and then been forced to resign," Nick said.

"Good point, but what about all the good things that came. Like this last year of us." Judy put strong emphasis on the word 'us'.

"This last year has been one of the craziest things to happen to me. I mean, who would have thought that I'd be dating a fox from the big city? Most of my family didn't think I would make it through the academy, let alone become a notable officer in Precinct One. But this takes the cake. This last year… has an impossible one for sure." Nick looked at Judy.

"I can't be that bad for you to call it impossible," Nick said.

"You'd be surprised, Slick. There's more to you that you don't even know about."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Nick said, eager to listen to Judy.

"Like how you sing in the shower." Nick's grin quickly turned into a frown.

"You hear that, don't you…" Nick said, his ears falling back. Judy didn't reply with words, just a slow nodding of her head and a smug little grin on her face.

"Hey don't get me wrong, you're a great singer. It's just hilarious that you had no idea I can hear you." Just then, the waiter came back.

"Alright, I've got an order of our famous cheese curds?"

"Yep, that's us," Nick said

"Ok, can I get you two anything else?"

"Nope, I think we're good for now, thank you." The waiter walked away. Nick was staring at the basket of cheese curds. These were the best you could get, and Nick's favorite. Nick grabbed one and popped it into his mouth, chewing and letting out a satisfactory moan. "Soooo good!" Nick said.

"I never understood the appeal of fried balls of cheese. It just seems like a heart attack waiting to happen." Judy said.

"Oh come on, when something is this good, who cares if they're incredibly unhealthy." In five minutes, Nick had the entire basket completely gone and was ready for another glass of Brandy. Judy had managed to get the entire glass of Merlot down, but she refused a second as she was really feeling the effects of the alcohol. They spent almost two hours just talking and telling stories. Nick paid for the drinks and food, and they got up and left, Nick wobbling a bit as he stood up.

"You know Nick, I've told you all about my family, but I've never heard about yours. You've only told me about the muzzling, but we've been together for a while, and I want more." Judy said, slurring her words slightly.

"So you want to know about where I came from, huh? Well, let's get home so we can sit down and talk. It's kind of a long story."


	3. Rebels

**Remastered - 10/23/2017**

* * *

A subtle, yet loud beeping brought a vixen out of her restful slumber, indicating that morning had broken over the city of Zootopia. Veronica hit the clock to stop the alarm which persisted though she had already woken without protest. She got up for the day, feeling a strange anticipation pushing down on her. Veronica walked into Nick's room, turning on the light and giving him a slight shake on the shoulder.

"Wake up sweetheart, it's your first day of school," she said in a motherly tone. Nick acted like he was still asleep, though a small grin appeared on his face as she continued to shake him harder and harder. "I know you can hear me, Nick. It's time to get up."

"C'mon mom, five more minutes, please?" Nick grumbled.

"No, you've got to get ready, silly."

"Ok…" he said reluctantly. Nick sat up in his bed, rubbing the remaining sleep out of his eyes.

"Chop, chop Nicky, you've got fifteen minutes," Veronica said from around the hall. Nick got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He brushed the fur on top of his head, some of it still sticking up at weird angles. He disregarded the crazy furs on his head and went back to his room to change into his clothes for the day. Nick ate his breakfast and brushed his teeth in record time, excited to start his first day of second grade.

"Ready to go?" his mother asked.

"Yeah. I was pretty much born ready," Nick said with a smug tone.

"Whatever you say, baby." Veronica chuckled. Nick grabbed his backpack and threw it over one shoulder. Veronica opened the door to their apartment and Nick ran out the door. She locked the door and they began walking to Nick's school, conveniently located just a few blocks from the apartment. Nick skipped about on the sidewalk, eager to begin his first day. Veronica walked straight, her eyes following Nick as he ran about. They made it to the front of the school, seeing lots of young mammals trying desperately to escape from their parents grasps. Veronica was approached by an older looking zebra, who introduced himself.

"Hello, you must be Veronica Wilde. I'm Albert Stripado, the principal here at this fine establishment." He offered his hoof and Veronica shook it.

"Nice to meet you, and this is my kit, Nick," she said gesturing to Nick who was standing right by her side.

"Well, Nick, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Stripado said. Nick looked at the large hoof that had been placed down by him. He grabbed it and shook lightly.

"It's nice to meet you too," Nick said quietly.

"Nick, why don't you go see all of the new children while I have a word with Mr. Stripado?" Veronica said. Nick took the opportunity and ran off, immediately seeming to make friends.

"I can assume that Nick won't be much trouble?" Mr. Stripado asked.

"You shouldn't have any problems with him. He's an excellent student, but I'm worried that a new school might be a bit tough for him to adjust to. Just make sure that he's comfortable." Veronica said.

"Don't you worry Mrs. Wilde, I will do what I can to help him out."

"Oh, actually I prefer Ms. Wilde," she said.

"Sorry, my mistake. I wasn't aware." Mr. Stripado said.

"It's quite alright. But that's another thing I want to talk about. My husband went missing when Nick was just a year old, so he hasn't had a prominent male influence in his life. I've done all I can to raise him right, so I only want to make sure that he's not getting into trouble."

"I'll do my best, but he seems to get along with the other kids." Mr. Stripado said, looking at Nick playing tag with other kids.

"He's always been good with others. I'm just worried is all."

"I'm sure Nick will do just fine. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or stop by my office," Mr. Stripado said.

"Thank you very much," she said. Mr. Stripado walked towards another group and began greeting them. Veronica looked around for Nick. She saw him standing in a group of about six others. She walked up to him, calling his name.

"Nicky, it's time for me to get to work," she said. Nick turned to his new friends.

"One-second guys," He turned to his mother. "Ok, mom. I'll see you later today?"

"Of course, darling. I love you." She invited Nick for a hug.

"I love you too, mom," Nick said, wrapping his arms around his mother's waist. Nick turned back to his group of friends continuing the telling of whatever story he was telling. Veronica started walking away and kept looking over her shoulder as if to make sure that Nick hadn't disappeared in the two seconds she'd turned away from him.

 _Ok, Veronica. Keep it together, you sappy old vixen… Get ahold of yourself…_ she thought to herself while holding back tears. She started walking faster and was eventually out of sight of the school. She made it to the bus stop just in time, finding Sheila, a very charismatic snow leopard that she worked with.

"How'd it go, Ronnie?" Sheila asked.

"As you'd expect. I almost didn't let go of that final hug. Today is going to be horrible," Veronica said.

"Oh quit being so melodramatic. When has Nick ever given you trouble?"

"Good point, but what do you know about parenting? You've never had kittens. I... just have a strange feeling about today."

"Maybe it's just because he's going to a new school and you don't want him to be left out," Sheila said.

"He's already made plenty of friends, so that's not the issue."

"Then it's probably just because you are the most paranoid vixen I've ever met."

"Har har, very funny," Veronica said. The bus pulled up to the bus stop and hissed to a halt. The door opened up and the small crowd began boarding the bus. Veronica and Sheila were the last two on the bus. The door closed behind them and they took their seats.

* * *

 _"So wait, you went to a new school and just made friends instantly?" Judy asked._

 _"Yeah, I really don't know how I managed to do it," Nick said with a chuckle._

 _"Ok, please continue."_

 _"Right, now where was I?"_

* * *

Veronica sat down at her desk and turned on the computer that sat in front of her. She leaned back in her chair, letting out a big sigh. She couldn't stop thinking about the strange feeling she had about today.

"I'll just have to work extra hard to get this out of my mind," she said to herself. She typed on the keyboard to access the computer and she began the long and boring workday.

Veronica's focus was broken by the ringing of the telephone on her desk. She looked up from her computer and looked at the small analog clock next to the phone. She had already been working for three hours. She grabbed the phone and answered.

"This is Veronica Wilde," she said. The voice on the phone said something. Her eyes got wide and her ears fell. "Ok. I'll be there as fast as I can." She stood up and ran down to the main level of the office building and out the door. Veronica flagged down a taxi and she got in the back. "Central Zootopia Elementary, please," she said hastily.

Veronica sat in the small waiting room, awaiting the call from the principal's secretary. Her legs were shaking and she was breathing heavily.

"Ms. Wilde, Mr. Stripado will see you now." the secretary said. Veronica got up and walked into Mr. Stripado's office, seeing Nick sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Ms. Wilde, thank you for coming on such short notice, but as you can see, we have a slight issue." Mr. Stripado said.

"I don't understand. What happened," she asked.

"Well, as far as I can tell, one of the other students didn't get along with Nick and instigated a quarrel between the two of them."

"I wouldn't have had to if he didn't make fun of me," Nick said in protest. Veronica looked down at him with a glare that could go through a brick wall. Nick looked down into his paws and stopped talking.

"As I understand it, Nick didn't start anything, so I can't see how there's an issue," Veronica said.

"That's how it appears, but Nick hurt the other student quite badly. We have a flexible policy when it comes to misconduct of this nature, but this was taken a bit too far. I've spoken with the parents of the other student, and they know that it was their child that started it. Nick would be getting off clean had he not gone to such lengths to show his discontent."

"Nick is never like this. Something would have to really get to him for him to do this. Might I ask what exactly happened."

"He made fun of me because I was a fox!" Nick said. Both Veronica and Mr. Stripado looked at Nick. Veronica's ears fell back. She was a bit suspicious that Mr. Stripado was keeping a part of the story hidden from her.

"Might I ask who the other student was, Mr. Stripado?" Veronica asked with a suspicious tone. The zebra was beginning to become restless. He didn't want to have to say this, but now he couldn't avoid it.

"The other student was Martin Garry. He's a rabbit... of the Garry family, the wealthiest rabbit family in Zootopia." Veronica looked at Nick, and then back up at Mr. Stripado.

"I think we're done here. The way I see it Nick has done nothing wrong." she said.

"Ms. Wilde, what Nick has done would likely have gotten him expelled from any other school. He's lucky-"

"I don't give a damn what he did! Those Garry rabbits are prejudiced assholes and they deserve it for teaching their children to be racist pieces of shit! Now, if you punish Nick for putting that kid in his place, then I swear to the Lord Almighty that I will take you down." She gave Mr. Stripado an evil glare. He looked at her, eyes wide open and terrified. She looked down at Nick. "C'mon, Nicky. Let's go home." Nick stood up and grabbed his mother's paw and they walked out of the office.

* * *

 _"So you got in a fight with Martin Garry when you were little? That's hilarious. My parents hated anything that had to do with them."_

 _"Yeah, well at the time, I didn't realize exactly what would happen after that."_

* * *

Veronica and Nick walked up the stairs to the door of the apartment. She turned the key and opened the door. Nick walked in and sat down on the couch. He figured that even if he didn't get punished at school, mom would be on his case. She sat down next to him and put her paw on his shoulder.

"Nick, do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked, concerned for her kit.

"Mom, I'm sorry…" he said, sniffing and holding back tears.

"Nicky, you don't have to be sorry, you did what you had to. Now can you tell me exactly what happened?" Nick looked at his mother, tears falling down his face.

"I was on the playground, when this bunny walked up to me, acting like he was better than me. He looked at me and he just shoved me to the ground. I hadn't said anything to make him mad, he just pushed me. Then he told me that foxes were the worst thing that had ever happened to the city."

 _That's something his father would say, alright…_

"That made me angry, so as he was walking away I tripped him and he fell. He looked back at me and tackled me. I pinned him and hit his face with my paw like this." He showed his mother his paw clenched into a fist.

"Nick, did you see any other kids there that were foxes?" Veronica asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I didn't. I was the only fox at school." Nick said, confused at the question.

"I want you to understand something. Us foxes get a bad rap, just because of who we are. We didn't do anything wrong, we just are who we are, and mammals don't like that. They don't see the world like we do. We've been given a disadvantage by being foxes, but that didn't stop us before, and it most certainly won't stop us now. I made a tough decision to raise you after your father disappeared. Some told me I should quit, few encouraged me to keep going, but the majority didn't understand the gravity of the situation."

"They just saw a fox, barely making a living. I learned something that I want you to understand, Nick. Be proud of who you are. Don't let them see that they get to you, no matter what, because that's how they keep going. If they aren't getting the reactions they want, they will stop. I've lived my life by those words, only I learned them much later than you, but promise me that you will do as I ask, and never let anyone see that they get to you?"

"Ok, mom. Whatever you say," Nick said, though he didn't quite understand what she meant.

* * *

 _"I thought you learned that after you got muzzled?"_

 _"The truth was that I really didn't understand it back then. It was only a year later that I finally understood."_

* * *

Two weeks later, Veronica received a call while at work. She looked at the phone and considered letting it ring, but she picked it up.

"This is Veronica Wilde," she said.

"Hello, Veronica," a smug sounding voice said on the other end of the line. "This is Gerard Garry. I want to have a little talk about what happened a couple of weeks ago. Can we meet anytime today?"

This was already starting to piss her off. Just by the sound of his voice, she wanted to punch his teeth out, but she didn't need him to know that, so she kept her cool.

"I would assume so. Do you have a time and place in mind?" she said. She did not want to talk to this rabbit, but what would that prove?

"I was thinking around 3 o'clock today. I could have a car sent to your place of employment. We can discuss matters there."

"I suppose that would work for me, Mr. Garry," Veronica said.

"Splendid, I look forward to our meeting. Ciao," and he hung up the phone. Veronica cringed at the utterance of the word 'ciao'. Mr. Garry seemed to live up to his reputation as a smug, snooty, egotistical business-mammal even from over the phone. She wondered exactly what he would want from her.

3 o'clock came around and a big black car pulled up to the office building. Veronica got into the back seat of the large vehicle. Mr. Garry was sitting in the rear-facing seats, dressed in a typical three-piece suit that probably cost more than her apartment's rent for ten years.

"Ms. Wilde. How wonderful that you're here. We have some important matters to discuss." he said.

"Yeah, no kidding, huh? Isn't everything you do, "important business" as you say, or is that just how you make yourself feel better than everyone around you?" she barked at him. Gerard chuckled a little at her insult, seemingly unphased by it.

"As you are aware, I'm sure, my son has undergone medical procedures to ensure that he recovers properly. Your son is the cause of those injuries, so what do you think I want?" Veronica looked at him with glaring eyes.

"I would assume you want me to pay the bills." Mr. Garry nodded in affirmation. "I'll tell you right now that isn't going to happen," she said, crossing her arms.

"And why not, Ms. Wilde?"

"I would have thought someone like you would have been fully aware of the gravity of the situation." Mr. Garry looked intently at Veronica. "Your son instigated the whole thing, starting by spewing out a direct quote from his daddy." Mr. Garry seemed to not understand.

"Please elaborate," he said.

"Your son said that foxes were the worst thing that had ever happened to the city." Mr. Garry's smug grin was replaced by a frown. He had said the same thing several years ago and it had nearly ruined him. If this got out to the public that he had taught his son to be racist just like himself he would be done for. "I don't suppose that would be very good for business if that got out to the public, huh?" she said with a sly grin.

"You can't hold that against me! Who is going to believe a seven-year-old fox!?" he said.

"Oh they don't have to believe my son, they just have to hear it from the countless other mammals that heard the exchange between the two, including three teachers from the school, several students, and the principal himself."

"What could you possibly hope to gain from this?" he said angrily.

"Oh, I don't want anything from you. I'd rather you continue your life as if this never happened. But if you try to get anything from me, I'll be ready to fight. I have a loaded gun, pointed right at the head of your well-being. Try anything, and I pull the trigger, ending your career and your business. One racial slur is enough to ruin a wealthy mammal. But two? Oh, that'll leave an indelible mark for sure."

"I see," Mr. Garry said, clearly defeated. "I'll stay away from you from now on. I won't ask for anything of you, as long as you promise to keep this meeting confidential."

"Agreed. I won't tell a soul what took place here. And I won't put it out what your son said." Veronica said.

"Thank you." Mr. Garry said. He gestured to the open door of the car and Veronica stepped out. She let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

"And that was the end of Gerard Garry's interactions with my family. Unfortunately, I had learned something else from the whole ordeal." Nick said.

"And what was that?" Judy asked. Nick sighed and continued.

"When my mother told me that mammals didn't like foxes just because of what we were, a little part of me died. The part of me that was a cheery little kit just up and died, leaving an angry and disturbed child who didn't have the heart to try to live above the stereotype. My grades began to slip. I started to get into more and more fights. I stopped caring because I knew that no matter what I did, everyone would still see just a shifty fox.'

"I obliviously supported and reinforced the stereotype that I hated so much. I wanted to give life another chance, so when I was invited to join the Junior Ranger Scouts, all doubt I had about other mammals went out the window. They muzzled me, and any bit of hatred that was inside me was released, all in that moment. That was when I understood what my mother told me, that I should never let anyone see that they got to me. After I graduated high school, I left home and lived on my own, learning over time how to con mammals to get their money. I was so baffled that people would stereotype so blindly that I lived up to it, instead of breaking it," Nick said. Judy looked at him concerned.

"Nick…" Judy said. "How long had it been since you've spoken to your mother?" she asked. Nick looked at Judy. He knew he wasn't getting out of this one, so he let out a sigh, preparing himself.

"Since I left home…" he said, looking down at the floor. "So about 17 years…" Judy's eyes widened from shock. She couldn't imagine avoiding her parents for a month, let alone almost two decades. "I resented her for telling me what society thought about foxes. I blamed her for me becoming discouraged and I never really forgave myself for what I put her through. I would like to make amends, but to tell you the truth, I don't know where she is, or whether she would forgive me," Nick said.

"Well, we can find out where she lives. You can go see her and tell her that you're sorry. You need to do this, and I will help you." Judy said, putting one of her paws on his.

"Thanks, Carrots. I think I could use all the help I can get." Nick looked at the clock. It read 2:34 A.M. "Holy smokes, we should probably get to bed." Judy looked at the clock and saw the time.

"Oh… I suppose we should," she exclaimed. They walked into their room together and shut the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope ya'll are enjoying again if you're rereading the updated chapters! If you're not, then I hope you like it for the first time!**


	4. Bête Noire

**Remastered - 11/06/2017**

* * *

Nick awoke in his bed with a start. His whole body shaking, he looked to his right, finding that Judy was not in bed. Confused, the tod looked at the rest of his surroundings. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes took in a bizarre sight.

He was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

He sat up and pulled his legs over the bed so he was sitting normally. He looked at his body, wearing nothing but his boxers. It all looked so real, but this was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"What is going on?" Nick said to himself. He felt a strange presence from behind him as if someone was staring at him from a distance. He turned around, seeing a figure standing far away, the distance impossible to judge because of the environment.

He stood up and started walking towards the peculiar figure. Nick walked faster, then he started jogging, and finally, he broke into a sprint. When he got close enough to see who was in front of him, he stopped. Nick looked curiously at the figure standing in front of him, cocking his head to the side. Standing maybe 10 feet in front of him was his mother. She stared blankly into the distance. He wasn't sure if she was actually looking at him or not.

"Mom?" Nick said with a quiet voice. His mother extended her arm and grasped at the air with her paw, reaching for her son.

"Nick," she said with a whisper, though it sounded as if it was a shout. "What have you done, Nick?"

"I… I don't understand…" Nick said, his voice quivering from a sudden flood of guilt. He was beginning to feel scared, but he didn't know why. He still wasn't sure what this was.

"Why have you forsaken me, Nicky?"

"Mom… please stop, you're scaring me…" Nick said. Tears had formed long ago, but now they were large enough to fall down his cheeks. They burned as they rolled away, the pain of his mistakes finally manifesting.

"You… will… be… _punished!_ " she shouted.

Her arm extended to an incredible length, closing the gap between them. Her paw closed around Nick's neck, causing him to gasp for air. She clenched her paw as tightly as she could and made it impossible for Nick to breathe. Nick slowly felt his feet leave the ground, but as much as he tried, he couldn't bring them back down to the floor.

Nick began struggling to get free from her grip but found himself unable to move. Just as he felt himself losing consciousness, her figure disappeared from in front of him and he began falling. Nick let out a loud scream right before he hit the ground.

* * *

Nick shot up in his bed, shivering and gasping for air. He had one paw over his heart as he panted, trying to calm himself down. At some point during the night, he'd taken off the covers and was sleeping with only his boxers on. He quickly grabbed the comforter from the foot of the bed and pulled it over himself to hopefully stop the shivering. He looked to the right of him to see Judy still sleeping, and he immediately felt a lot better knowing that this wasn't still a dream.

He looked back at the ceiling and laid his head back on his pillow. _What the heck was that?_ he thought to himself. Nick looked at his alarm clock, which read 5:24. He'd only been asleep for about three hours, and he soon felt sleep coming to him. Despite him not wanting to go back to sleep for fear of another nightmare, he welcomed the heavy eyelids and soon enough the memories of the bad dream were gone and he was snoring quietly.

* * *

Nick opened one of his eyes, seeing the bright morning sunlight filling the room with a light-orange glow. He opened the other eye and blinked to adjust his eyes to the light. He sat up in bed and scratched the back of his head, vaguely remembering the events of his very bizarre dream.

 _What could it mean?_ he thought to himself. Could he be nervous about seeing his mother? That was the most likely reason, but he didn't even think it would be possible to see her. He hadn't talked to her in so long that he didn't know where she lived anymore.

Judy was nowhere to be seen, but he could smell a freshly brewed pot of coffee coming from the kitchen, and he could hear some footsteps as well. Nick sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his forehead, the feelings of a headache beginning to become noticeable. Nick grabbed some clothes from earlier in the week and put them on, not wanting to put on any fresh clothes yet.

Nick walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Judy was frantically trying to prepare a nice breakfast, but as far as Nick was concerned, she was failing miserably. She fumbled with burned pieces of toast and her eggs were so poorly flipped that they wouldn't even make good scrambled eggs. Nick had been standing, watching her for about a minute and she still hadn't noticed.

"Having fun there, Fluff?" Nick said with a gruff morning voice. Judy jumped when she heard him and looked over at him.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Long enough to see that you're bad at cooking."

"Oh my God, you are unbearable, and it's only 8 o'clock in the morning," she said. Nick looked at her and giggled a little bit. "What's so funny, Slick?"

"You. You are funny."

"Oh, stop it. And help me out if you only want slightly burned toast," Judy demanded.

"Alright, you're the boss. But I'll have you know that I actually like my toast a little well done," Nick said.

"Well then check the trash, there should be about three nicely burnt slices in there."

Nick looked in the trash, and just as she said, three slices of black toast were sitting at the top. "Sweet cheese and crackers, Carrots. You need to stop before you hurt yourself... or an entire loaf of bread," Nick said jokingly. Judy gave Nick a good slug right in the arm. Nick let out a yelp.

"That's what you get for making fun of my cooking abilities, or rather inabilities."

"Okay, I did deserve that, but why do you have to hit so hard?" Nick said rubbing his arm.

"I think you deserve a lot worse than that, but I have at least a smidge of mercy," she said.

"So… what all happened last night?" Nick asked.

"Well, you told me about your first day of second grade and that you have neglected to speak to your mother for the last seventeen years," Judy said. Nick put his paws over his face and sighed.

"Really? I said that?" Judy nodded in affirmation. "That's what I get for drinking too much," he said.

"Yeah, you were slurring your words a little bit," Judy said with a giggle. "Breakfast is going to be ready in a couple of minutes, and I'm sure my cooking will be just fine since you seem to be a little hungover." Nick didn't need her to remind him of the incoming hangover, as he was already feeling the effects. He sat down at the kitchen table and looked at his phone.

He opened his photo gallery to see several new photos from last night. He tapped on the first one and a picture of himself lying on the ground, seemingly having tripped, appeared on the screen. He swiped through the other pictures, all of them relating to that first image. Nick looked at his knee, seeing a large scrape, partially scabbed over.

"How did I not notice that?" He touched the wound, pulling his finger back as he winced in pain. "And how did that get on my phone?" Judy shrugged.

"I have no clue, but drunk Nick is hilarious. I looked away from you for a second and when I looked back, you were face-first on the ground." Judy said chuckling.

"Well, why didn't you stop me?"

"What from drinking? I figured you could handle it since you've drunk plenty of times beforehand."

"That doesn't mean I have self-control," Nick said. Judy brought the pan of sort-of scrambled eggs over to Nick's plate and gave him two pieces of toast.

"Eat up, we've got a lot to do today."

"Like what?" Nick said.

"We are going to find out where your mother lives and you are going to apologize." Nick groaned in discomfort, clearly not wanting to have any part in today's activities.

"We're not doing that today are we?"

"Yes. We are. You need to do this, Nick, otherwise we might not have another chance to do this. But don't worry, I'll be there for you."

"Well, I was hoping to have a little more time to prepare. It's not every day that you go see your mother for the first time in seventeen years," Nick pouted.

"I know, but this will be good for you."

"Yeah, but I just can't help but think that this is a bad idea."

"Why would it be a bad idea? Whatever she says, you just need to accept it. You made a mistake, and it's time to finally face that." As much as he didn't like it, he knew Judy was right. He messed up, and he needed to accept whatever his mother wanted to do about it. If she said she never wanted to see him again, there was nothing that he could do about it. But of course, if there was a way he could make amends, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Nick sighed. "I'm going to shower. After that… we can go find out where she lives."

"Go ahead, you smell like alcohol and greasy food," Judy said from the living room. She had turned on the television and was watching the morning news.

Nick stripped himself of his clothes and got in the shower. He turned on the water and pulled the little plunger on the tap to get it to come from the shower head. The water rained down on top of him, cold at first, but quickly became nice and hot. Nick stood, letting the water pour onto him, thinking about what to say to his mother when, or rather if he sees her today.

 _Hi mom, it's been a while, hasn't it?_ Nick thought. Yeah, it had been a while. It had been too long.

 _This was not going to be easy, but this is my fault, and I have to fix it..._ Nick thought. Nick grabbed the bottle of soap and put some in his paws, he lathered them up and rubbed all over himself, being sure to wash away any indication of last night. He'd rather not go to his mother's house smelling like a bottle of brandy, which he was sure she would appreciate.

Nick shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing his towel and drying off, he walked over to the bedroom on the other side of the hall with it around his waist. Nick opened up the closet and picked out his favorite shirt, khakis, and decided on a monochrome blue tie. Nick walked out into the living room to see Judy laying on the couch, on her phone.

"You ready to go, Carrots?" Nick said.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Judy exclaimed. She seemed to be in very good spirits about this, but Nick was dreading the moment he would have to see his mother for the first time in so long. The fear of anger and the possibility of violence was not what scared him. It was the inevitability of sheer disappointment from his mother that made him incredibly uneasy. Nick walked out the door after Judy, locking it and walking away.

 _No turning back now…_ Nick thought to himself. They walked down the stairs and out into the oddly cold air. It was the beginning of November but it was unconventionally cold, likely in the mid 30's.

"So, what's the plan?" Nick asked.

"Well I was thinking that since we aren't supposed to be doing any sort of work today, I would have Clawhauser help us out a little," she said.

"How'd you manage to get help from him?"

"I might have bribed him with a box of donuts. Okay maybe three boxes, but you get the point," Judy said.

"Of course you did," Nick said, a smile appearing on his face. They walked all the way to the ZPD from the apartment. Nick was beginning to regret not wearing at least some sort of jacket. It usually didn't get too cold in Sahara Square, but with it being November, it could dip near freezing at some points. Today was clearly one of those days.

Making it to the ZPD, Nick shivered as he walked to the front entrance ahead of Judy, opening the door for her and then coming into the warmth of the lobby. Clawhauser was sitting in his usual position at the front desk, an empty box of donuts sitting next to his name plaque.

"Nick! Judy! How's it going?" Clawhauser asked.

"Oh, it's been an interesting morning, to say the least," Nick said. "So, let's get right to the chase, we need your help to look up a 'mammal of interest'."

"Ok, and what are you willing to do for me in return?" he said questioningly with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"We already talked about this, Ben..." Judy said.

"Yeah, but I want more than just the donuts, I want to know what's been going on the last few days. You've kept everyone here in the dark and it's really doing a number on us." Clawhauser said.

"Listen, if we promise to tell everyone later, will you help us?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I was going to help you out no matter what, as long as I get those donuts."

"Sure thing, Ben. You'll get your donuts," Judy said. "Now, you remember when you were in records?" she said. Ben nodded in affirmation.

"Follow me," he said. "I'll take you two downstairs."

He got up from his chair and grabbed a set of keys. Nick and Judy followed him to a door marked 'Basement'. He opened the door and they walked down the stairs. They walked down a dimly lit hallway to a door all the way at the end. Clawhauser took the keys, looked at them carefully, being sure to choose the correct key. He held up a small, brass key and unlocked the door.

"This was my old office back when they had me in records. Now it's empty and nobody ever uses it. I'll log onto the computer and let you do the searching." Clawhauser said. He sat down at the small desk and tapped on the keyboard. He stood up and slid over to allow Nick to sit in the chair.

"Just come up and let me know when you're done."

"Alright, thanks, Ben. You'll have those donuts on Monday." Nick said. Clawhauser let out a little giggle and walked out of the small room. Nick clicked on the files and searched for his mother's name. He typed into the computer 'Wilde, Veronica G' and an old mugshot of his mother showed up.

"I had no idea mom had a criminal record," Nick said, surprised. He looked over the file, seeing that the only thing on her record was driving without a license from when she was 18… and assaulting an officer. "I think I'll be having a word with her about that," Nick's eyes panned over the screen until he found the address. "Bingo. 2554 S. Forest Pl, Apt. 404. Hopefully, she still lives there," Nick said. Nick shut off the computer and closed the door behind him. Judy was beside him as they walked up the stairs.

"Well, all we have to do now is find the place, then…" Judy said.

"Then what?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, I was hoping you'd be able to finish that sentence for me."

"Well, then I can make things right, and I guess I'll have to tell her about Monday night..." Nick said, his voice suddenly becoming saddened.

"I didn't think about that. Are you sure you want to do this, now?" Judy asked.

"It's time for me to make things right, or at least try. I also don't want to scare her. It might be a little bit hard to do that, though." Judy looked at him, slightly concerned. "Alright Ben, we're done down there."

"Excellent, now I want to know why you've been all weird and stuff," he said. Nick and Judy looked at each other, and then at Ben.

"Sorry, Ben. I'd rather have everyone hear it from me. If I tell you right now, then someone is bound to get it to spread." Ben didn't seem to like Nick's answer too well. He put on his sad eyes, but they did nothing to sway Nick choice to keep quiet for now.

"Ok, good luck you two," Ben said sadly.

"Yep, have a good rest of your day," Judy said. Both of them walked out of the station, side by side. Nick was on his phone, using the GPS on it to find the apartment.

"It looks like it isn't too far from our place, only about three miles or so," Nick said. Judy looked at Nick's phone so that she could see where it was that they were going.

"I guess we could take the subway. I would imagine we get off at 17th instead of 15th?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, then we'd only have about five blocks to walk from there. I still wish I put on a jacket, it's really cold out," he said shivering.

"It's only 9 o'clock in the morning, it'll get warmer," Judy said.

"Will it get warmer in about two seconds? I don't think so," Nick said sarcastically.

"No… but you can handle it. You're a tough fox," she said as she punched his arm. He let out a yelp and rubbed his arm. "Ok, maybe I'll take back what I said," she said jokingly.

"Hey, you hit harder than you think, and my arm is sore," Nick said.

"Sore from what?"

"I don't know, I think I slept on it wrong," he said.

"Yeah, right," Judy said. They walked up to the subway station and sat down on a bench. They sat for a few minutes before the next subway arrived. When it came, they boarded and found two open seats. The subway began to move and a female voice announced the next few stops.

"So, what else do you want to do today?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I don't know. We could probably just go back home after this, waste some time there. Why, did you have something in mind?" she asked.

"No, I was just wondering since we've got nothing else to do for the rest of the day." Nick pulled out his phone, seeing that it was a little past 9 o'clock. Nick sat back in the chair and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes for a while, letting everything sink in. He considered all possibilities of what could happen at his mother's.

She could be angry, which Nick could handle because she had every right to be. He did not want her to be disappointed, though. That had been his worst fear as a child and was still pretty high up on that list. Their stop was coming up and so Nick opened his eyes and readjusted his seating position. The voice announced their stop, the subway slowed down and the doors opened up.

Nick and Judy walked off the subway and onto the platform. The cool morning air was still present, although it was getting a little warmer, just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to make Nick feel any less cold. Nick shivered as he walked out of the subway.

They continued walking, passing by other mammals and apartment buildings. When the building in question came into view, Nick felt his heart skip a beat, which escalated into a deep, primal sense of fear and a desire to run before something truly bad happened. His heart rate increased dramatically, it's thumping audible to his own ears, and probably Judy's. His breathing became shaky, erratic, and heavy, which ultimately brought her attention to him.

"Nick, please calm down. You can't see your mother like this. Just take some deep breaths and try to calm down." Nick slowly lowered himself until he was in a seated position on the sidewalk. Judy stood by him and rubbed his back as he did his best to calm himself down.

"I know… I know…. The gravity of the situation is finally catching up with me..." Nick replied. It took nearly two minutes, but Nick finally managed to calm down. Nick stood back up with the help of Judy, and they continued walking. Approaching the building, they looked at the doors where they saw the numbers 2554. They opened the door and walked in, feeling the nice contrast of warm air. They found the stairs and began walking up, but after the first two floors, Nick was already feeling winded.

 _I'm really out of shape…_ he thought to himself. Judy continued ahead of him, looking back and rolling her eyes.

"C'mon Nick, we're only halfway, let's pick up the pace," she said.

"I'm trying, Carrots. I guess I'm just really out of shape."

"I'm sure…" she joked. They continued walking up and made it to the fourth floor. Nick looked down the hallway, looking for the number of his mother's room. They walked to the left, numbers increasing until they found room 404. Nick looked at Judy, and she gave him a nod as if she was saying, 'Go ahead'. Nick walked up to the door and held his fist up to it. He hesitated slightly before knocking on it three times. He waited and listened. He heard some footsteps walking towards the door, but nobody answered. Then the doorknob began to slowly turn.

* * *

Veronica was sitting in her reclining chair, watching the morning news when she heard three knocks on her door.

 _Who could that be?_ she thought to herself. She got up from her chair and walked over to her door. She looked through the small glass hole in the door and saw a fox standing outside. She couldn't help but notice he looked an awful lot like…

 _No… this cannot be happening..._ Her paws came up to her muzzle, barely stifling a gasp. She considered not answering the door, but she grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it. She pulled open the door, seeing Nick standing in front of her, wearing a sad grin. Time seemed to stop as their eyes locked, leaving everyone in silence for what felt like an eternity.

"Mom..." he said, barely able to speak.

"You… you left," Veronica said, nearly breaking down right there. Nick felt the disappointment in those words, and it hit him like a bus.

"I… I know… and I want to say that I'm sorry… for everything. Can we come in and sit?" Nick asked, once again struggling to get the words out. Nick's mother looked at him strangely.

"We?" she said, looking out in the hallway. Nick looked to the right of him and motioned with his paw for Judy to walk over. She stood next to Nick, a small smile on her face.

"Come on in…" Nick's mother said. Nick and Judy walked into her apartment, which had a similar layout to their own. They sat down on the couch and Veronica sat back in her chair. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television. She looked at Nick, studying him.

"So… I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to go…. I know we have a lot to talk abou—"

"You got that right. After seventeen years I would hope there's a lot to discuss, and there better be a damn good explanation," She said angrily. Nick's ears splayed back and he looked at his mother like a child who had just gotten in trouble. He suddenly feared the thought of his mother being angry much more than before. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? You left me all alone, Nicholas. I tried to contact you for a long time, but you were nowhere to be found. Up until three years ago, I thought you were dead!"

"I know! That's why we're here! I want to say that I'm sorry. You have every right to be angry, but I want you to know that I truly am sorry," Nick said, his voice more apologetic that it had ever been.

Veronica sighed. "I want to know what the hell was going through your head to make you just up and leave and without telling me," Veronica said.

"If you want the truth, I'll give you the truth. You told me that we had a disadvantage, just because we were foxes. I resented you for that. When I graduated high school, I saw that as freedom for me; that I could finally live how I wanted, so I left. I don't know what was going on in my head, but I felt miserable because of what I did. I have hated myself for doing it for years. I just never had the courage to face my fears and tell you that I made a big mistake." Nick let out a long, drawn-out sigh, finally feeling better now that he'd told his mother what he was feeling. He put his arm around Judy's shoulders.

"Judy helped me to muster up the courage, Mom. She showed me that I had it in me all along, but I just hadn't found it. It breaks my heart that I have to do this because it means that I hurt you. I hurt you badly, and it was all my fault. I take full responsibility for any pain you experienced over the last two decades." He had stopped trying to hold back the tears and they began flowing down his face. "I was a jerk. I was a terrible son, and I'm sorry, Mom. I really am. I want things to be good with us again," he sobbed.

"Oh, Nick. Do you really think I could be that mad at you?" she said with tears in her eyes. She stood up and opened her arms. Nick got up and hugged his mother. Nick began sobbing hard and he held on tightly, letting his emotions get the better of him. Judy sat on the couch, tears beginning to form in her eyes too.

They broke the hug and stared into each other's eyes. "Nick, I'm proud of you. I want you to know that. I never truly hated you, I was just angry, that's all," she said. Veronica hugged Nick again until he stopped crying. "Now that we got that out of the way, I want to know all about the last seventeen years." Nick sat back down next to Judy. "But first, I want to know who this is."

"Mom, this is Judy, my partner and… girlfriend," Nick said, mumbling the last word.

"It's nice to meet you, Judy. I sure hope you've been keeping him in line." Veronica said.

"I try, but it's not easy," Judy said with a chuckle.

"So you say you're partners, like, business partners or what?" Veronica asked.

"No, we're both police officers," Nick said. "We work together on cases and things like that."

"I thought that was you in the papers," she said. "So how long have you been an officer, Nick?"

"Only about two and a half years. I worked in _various fields_ before that." Nick said. He probably didn't want to get into too many details about his past.

"What kind of fields?" Veronica asked. Nick flinched at the words she said. He really didn't want to get into his past, but now he really had no choice.

"I may have worked on the streets… swindling innocent mammals out of cash..." Nick said, shifting his seating position vigorously.

"Ah… that's, um, interesting. I didn't know you did that," Veronica said nervously and awkwardly. Nick looked at his mother with an awkward glare.

"Yeah, most don't know that, either," Nick said with a nervous chuckle. "I typically try to stay away from my past. It's not something I'm proud of." His mother looked at him with a concerned look. He figured that they would be talking about that at a later date.

"So what made you decide to become a police officer?" Veronica asked. Nick let out a sigh of relief upon not having to delve any deeper into his endeavors as a hustler.

"While Judy and I were trying to solve the Nighthowler case, she thought I would make a good cop. That brought the idea into my mind, but I really didn't think about it too much until the case was over and done with."

"Yeah, I actually met Nick on my first day on the force. He helped me solve the case and then I got to thinking that we would make good partners, and the rest is history," Judy said with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Well, I can see you two work well together. I can see a long and happy relationship in store for you two." Veronica said. Nick cringed when he heard those words. He knew what he would have to tell her next. As much as it pained him, he needed to tell his mother the terrible news.

He knew that it would come up during this conversation, no matter what. If his mother didn't mention a good time to bring it up, then he would just do it himself. With that moment only seconds away, he felt much unlike what was expected. He felt the couch disappear from beneath him, and everything seemed to vanish except for his mother and Judy. He felt a surge of adrenaline flow through his veins, making his heart beat faster and his breathing to become shaky.

"Uh, mom, about that. There's something else that I have to tell you. Something happened to us on Monday," Nick said, putting extra emphasis on 'us'. Veronica's eyes became wide, and Nick could see a glimpse of fear in them.

"I… I don't have much time left." Veronica appeared to freeze in place, her emotions unchanging. But Judy could hear how her heart nearly stopped, but each beat was as powerful as they could get. Her face remained expressionless, her mind still trying to process what she just heard.

"I found out yesterday that I have heart cancer. They didn't give any specific amount of time, but the doctor said he didn't see this lasting more than a couple of months." He looked down at his feet, not wanting this meeting to have gone like this. Ideally, he would have preferred to have not mentioned anything, but it was best if she found out now rather than later. Veronica stood up and walked over to Nick. She wrapped his arms around him, and it was then that she finally let the tears fall.

"Nick… I want you to know something…. I will always love you. Never forget that. I will never leave your side." The words hit Nick right in the heart. He didn't deserve to hear that. Not after what he put his mother through. Nick began sobbing with her. "I will not let you go without you knowing that there wasn't a day that went by without me wishing that I had done something different."

"Mom… I don't know what to say. I hurt you badly, and now… you're blaming yourself? You didn't do anything. It was all me. I left because you told me the truth," Nick said, wiping away tears from his eyes. Nick looked at his mother.

She was smiling.

Nick looked confused. _Why was she smiling?_

"Nick… there is nothing you could do that would make me love you any less. Don't beat yourself up about this. We can get through this together. All of us here will make it out ok." Nick looked over at Judy and held out a paw. She walked over to Nick and all three of them had arms around each other. They stood, embracing each other for a while, then Veronica looked at Judy.

"Nick, do you mind if Judy and I have a little chat?" Nick looked at Judy. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but after knowing that his mother seemed to like Judy, he figured it was no big deal.

"I guess that's fine," Nick said. Judy looked at Nick, unsure of what his mother would say to her. She was going to have a one on one conversation with Nick's mother. Nick had barely met Judy's parents. While a little intimidating, she felt rather hopeful that it would be a good talk. Nick left the room and Judy sat down. Veronica took a seat next to Judy.

"I don't know what you did to him, but I want to thank you." Judy seemed surprised.

"I didn't think I really did anything," Judy replied.

"Well, you did something, because that is not the Nick I remember. I have only ever seen him cry a few times. He's never been one to let his emotions show. He's changed a lot since I saw him last. I can tell he's been feeling something different." Veronica paused for a moment as if collecting her thoughts for what she would say next.

"Let me ask you something, do you love him?" The question took her by surprise. While the question seemed a bit too much considering how little they knew of each other, it felt appropriate.

"Of course I love him. With every bit of love I've got."

"That's good. He needs all the love he can get. I am a very perceptive vixen, don't get me wrong. I can tell when someone is in need. When Nick walked in, I could tell that he had a lot on his heart. He has let that go, but there is still a lot of healing for him to do. I know that I can trust you to keep him out of trouble, but there's one thing that I need to ask you." Judy's eyes widened. "Can you help him heal, make him whole again?" Judy looked at Veronica and gave her a nod.

"I will do whatever it takes. I'm not one to give up easily, just ask Nick.' Judy said.

"Well, then I guess we're done here." She called Nick back into the room. "Nick, you've got yourself a fine partner. Keep her close. I like this one. And don't hesitate to visit, I like our chats. And always remember that if you need anything, I will be here to help."

Nick nodded. "Of course, Mom. I love you." Nick said, going in for a hug.

"I love you too, baby," she said, embracing her son. They let go of each other and smiled.

"I guess we're ready to go?" Nick said, looking at Judy.

"Yep," Judy said. "I was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Wilde."

"Oh, please, call me Veronica." Nick and Judy gave their final goodbyes and then walked out of her apartment and into the hallway.

After getting a few steps down the way, Nick was the first one to speak. "Well, that went well."

"Yeah, I don't know why you were freaking out so much."

"Like I said before, it's not every day you have to do that."

"Speaking of doing things, is there anything else that we need to do?" Judy asked.

"Nothing that I can think of. I think we could just go home, do nothing. And after today, I think we deserve to do nothing." Judy looked at her phone. "It's only 10:30. We have to do something. I don't really want to sit around at home for the rest of the day."

"Well, what were you thinking of doing?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, I had an idea... it's probably not something you'd want to do, and it would actually be for the rest of the weekend."

"What?" Nick said sternly, not knowing if this was good or bad.

"I was thinking, since we just visited your mother, it got me thinking that I hadn't seen my parents in a while. We have the whole weekend to ourselves, and I was thinking that we could... maybe go to Bunnyburrow" Judy said, expecting him to shut down the idea immediately.

"I don't know, Carrots. The last time we were there your parents did some pretty weird stuff. But if you want to, I suppose we can."

"Really? You actually want to go?" Judy asked.

"I don't _really_ want to go, but it beats sitting at home with nothing to do."

"Great, I'll look and see what times there are for departures." Judy pulled her phone back out and looked up tickets to Bunnyburrow.

"It looks like there is one that leaves at 1:30. That would put us in Bunnyburrow around 3:15. I'll have to confirm that with mom, though, but I'm sure she'll be okay with us visiting for the weekend." Judy tapped in her mother's number into her phone and pressed send. The phone rang for a few seconds, then she picked up.

 _"Hi, sweetheart, what's up?"_

"Hey, mom. I wanted to ask you if you were doing anything this weekend?"

 _"No, I don't think we have anything important going on, why?"_

"Well, Nick and I got the idea to visit Bunnyburrow for the rest of the weekend. We have nothing to do, and it has been a while." Judy said.

 _"That sounds great! So it would just be you and Nick?"_

"Yep. There's a train to Bunnyburrow leaving at 1:30 today which would get us there by about a quarter past three. Then we'd leave later on Sunday."

 _"Terrific! I guess I'll be seeing you two later today then?"_

"Yep, we'll see you later. Love you!" Judy said.

 _"Love you too, bye bye!"_ Bonnie hung up the phone, leaving Judy still with her phone up to her ear. Nick looked slightly concerned. He wasn't opposed to visiting, but the last time they were there her parents got up to some shenanigans that made Nick a little uncomfortable, even if it was all in good fun.

"Carrots, I can't help but feel that this won't go well."

"Oh, you'll be fine. The last time we were there my whole family was around. They also were skeptical of you beforehand. They like you now. Everything is going to be great! I don't think they'll pull a hustle on us like they did before." Judy said very excitedly.

"Well, are we going to get those tickets for 1:30?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, those will be good. We'll go home and pack, then we can leave!" Judy replied. They made it to the station and rode home. They walked up to the apartment and began packing.

Nick and Judy had finished packing in a relatively timely fashion. They gathered their luggage and sat next to each other on the couch.

"Well, we've got a few hours, what do you want to do in the meantime?" Nick asked.

"I think I know what you want to do," Judy said with a flirty tone.

"Yep. I could use some food about now." Nick said.

"That's… not what I had in mind, but I guess food sounds good." Judy said disappointedly. She really wasn't all that hungry, but she went into the kitchen to see what they had.

"Looks like all we have is a box of mac n' cheese and a frozen pizza," Judy said.

"Are we really that unhealthy?" Nick asked.

"Well, we typically eat out most of the time. These are probably pretty old," Judy said, grimacing at the old pizza. "I think I can see mold on this." She took the frozen pizza and tossed it into the trash can. "Mac n' cheese it is."

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be a kid again." Nick pondered.

"Why do you say that?" Judy asked.

"Because kids always eat this stuff. I remember practically living off of it one summer when I was about 10 years old, and I don't think I've had it since." Nick said.

"Nick, if you don't feel like having it you can just tell me," Judy said.

"Yeah, I'd rather not. Have you seen the expiration date?" Judy looked at the bottom of the box to see that it had expired almost a year ago.

"I guess not. Will you be fine to wait until we get to Bunnyburrow?"

"I'll be fine, Carrots," Nick said.

"Ok, good. I wasn't about to eat that either." She said with relief. "So what else do you want to do for the next..." she looked at her phone. "Two hours before we have to leave for the train station?"

"I think a nap is in order. I'm pooped," Nick said, a yawn accompanying.

"I can agree with that. I'll set an alarm so that way we don't wake up too late."

Nick and Judy both looked towards their bedroom, but then seemingly telepathically, they both told each other that a snuggle-nap was long overdue. They both headed to the couch in the living room where Nick lay down on the couch and Judy squeezed next to him.

Judy leaned her head back, giving her an upside-down look at her fox. He smiled down at her and placed a kiss right in between her ears, and then on her lips.

"I love you, Judy."

"I love you, too, Nick."

Wrapping his arms around her, Nick brought her even closer than she already was and rested his muzzle gently on top of her head. He thought about how lucky he was to have her by his side, especially right now. As he closed his eyes, he held on tightly, hoping that she would never leave.

* * *

Ruining the peace of their slumber, the alarm on Judy's phone nearly caused the fox to jump off of the couch when it sang it's terrible song which woke them up.

As he was trying to get up, Judy had already risen and was gathering their luggage, frantic to get going and make sure they were going to be on time.

"Ok. we've got about 40 minutes before the train starts boarding. We'll pretty much get there right as they start."

"Woah, there, Carrots. I've only just started to wake up. You know I'm a slow fox when I wake up."

Judy stopped her frantic running about and calmed herself. "I'm sorry. I'm just so excited!"

"Right. Of course, you are. You get excited about everything." Judy stared daggers at Nick for a few seconds, but then thought about how true his statement really was.

"Ok, you have a point there. I've already called a Zuber, so they will be here in a few minutes. We have everything ready to go, so now all we have to do is wait."

Nick and Judy gathered their luggage, which was only a little due to the fleeting nature of their trip to the burrows. They walked out of their apartment and locked it, then walked down to the street and waited.

They sat on the stairs of the apartment while waiting for the Zuber. When it arrived, they put their luggage in the trunk of the car and got in the back.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Zootopia Central Station, please," Nick said.

"You got it," the driver replied. They sat in the back of the car silently. Nick's mind was on the events of the last week. It had been the craziest week of his life, and it still wasn't over. He thought about his last visit to Bunnyburrow, and how uncomfortable he was. Everyone was staring at him and Judy's parents had been ridiculously judgy. Thankfully they weren't complete bigots and they had warmed up to him by the end of the trip.

Completely unaware of how tired he still was, Nick nodded off in the middle of the car ride, to which he had a third rude awakening of the day

"Nick. wake up, were at the station," Judy said while shaking Nick vigorously. He opened his eyes and let out a big yawn. He removed his seatbelt and got out of the car. He grabbed the luggage from the back of the car and tipped the driver. They walked over to the large escalator that went down and got on.

Judy stood next to Nick, very eager to begin the trip back to her home. The escalator took them down to the various platforms. They walked over to a bench and sat down. Nick looked at his phone, the clock indicating 1:02. They still had about a half an hour before it left. "I'm going to go get our tickets," Judy said.

"That would probably be a good idea." He hadn't even thought about the tickets.

 _That would have been bad if we forgot those..._ he thought. Judy walked away to get the tickets, leaving Nick alone to sit on the bench. He sat, looking into his paws and thinking about the future. He didn't like to, but it was hard not to when he knew that the end was so close.

Judy would have a lot for just her to deal with. Bills, arrangements, not to mention she would need to adjust to living on her own again. He figured she would be alright with that, but it wouldn't be like before they moved in. The apartment would just feel empty.

Judy's return from the ticket booth interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, we can board now or we can wait for a little while," Judy said.

"We might as well board now. I'd rather not sit out in the cold for much longer." They stood up and walked over to their train and boarded. The inside of the train was much warmer than outside, perhaps too warm for Nick's liking. Nick slid off his jacket as he was getting their seats, they sat down, but Judy could tell that Nick was feeling a bit off.

"Nick, you don't look so good,"

"Oh, I'm fine. I've just been thinking about the last week and how crazy it's been. Plus, it's really hot in here," Nick said.

"It has been crazy, hasn't it? Well, hopefully, we can relax a little while we're there and you'll feel refreshed," Judy said.

"Relaxing? Ha. Not with your family. I don't know how your parents can sleep with so many to take care of."

"Oh, believe me, there have been plenty of times where they got only two hours of sleep a night for weeks at a time. From the moment they woke up to the moment they went to sleep they were doing something, whether it was farming or taking care of family matters. I don't think they've had an ounce of free-time for years."

"I kinda feel bad for them. I mean, I would never be able to do what they do."

"Trust me, I couldn't either." The train began to move and pick up speed. Nick looked out of the window, watching the cityscape slowly change into the various subdivisions of the city, Rainforest District, Tundra Town, then Sahara Square until finally they had officially left the city limits and were greeted by endless fields of produce and large groves of trees. Nick laid back in his seat and once again let sleep overtake him.

* * *

Nick felt the train shudder a little, bringing him out of his third nap of the day. He didn't know why he was so tired, but it felt good to actually have time to get a little extra rest. He looked out the window across from him, seeing plenty of fields and very few homes.

When he shifted in his seat, he noticed that his left arm was completely numb. He figured he ended up sleeping on it strangely which caused him to lose circulation temporarily. He gently wiggled his shoulder to try and get the blood to flow into his arm again. Within a few seconds, he could begin to feel the sharp pins and needles of regaining circulation.

Not knowing how long he'd been asleep, Nick caught the attention of a bunny who he knew was one of the attendants.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You don't know how much longer it will be until we arrive in Bunnyburrow, do you?" he asked.

"Oh, it'll be about five more minutes."

"Ok, thank you," he replied. Nick finally regained feeling enough in his left arm to nudge Judy. "Carrots, we'll be there in five minutes. Wake up." Judy opened her eyes and blinked them many times to adjust her sight to the bright lights of the cabin. She sat up in her seat and pulled out her phone.

"Huh, perfect timing," she said. Her phone showed the time as 3:03. "Almost time." Her voice sounded excited like she was a kit on Christmas day. It was the little things about her that he loved so much. The way she got when she was excited was one of them.

"How about that…" Nick said in a very unexcited tone. He hadn't intended to sound so down in the dumps, but that was just the way he felt right now, and he had no idea why.

"Oh, cheer up, Nick. We're only going to be here for a little while. Remember, we're leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't care that we're visiting, it's just that I really feel like crap right now."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"I kinda feel like I did last Monday, and it's a bit unsettling."

"Well, just be careful and don't hesitate to let me know if you are feeling any worse."

"Of course, Carrots. I'm so lucky to have you, aren't I?"

Judy gave him a quick one-armed hug. "Of course, Nick. I love you."

"I love you, too." Nick and Judy prepared themselves to leave as the train came to a stop. When the doors opened up, they walked off of the train and into the blistering cold of Bunnyburrow. "Wow. It's really cold here, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You'll get used to it in a little while. It's not as cold as you think, there's just no protection from the wind anymore." Judy scanned the crowd to try and see if her parents were there yet. "Hopefully they are here soon," Judy said.

They sat down on a bench and waited for Judy's parents to arrive. Nick grabbed his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. He only had 15% left and wanted to conserve it, so he put his phone back in his pocket. Minutes passed and Nick was starting to become chilled. The temperature had dropped down so low that he couldn't stop shaking from the cold. Just as he thought he was going to die from hypothermia, Judy looked up and saw her parents drive up in an old farm truck. He recognized it as the truck that Judy had picked him up in when they solved the Nighthowler case. Judy stood up and ran towards the truck, hugging her parents. Nick got up after her and gulped.

He walked over to the truck, Judy's parents shifting their gaze to Nick. Nick cleared his throat and began to speak.


	5. No Words Can Describe

**Remastered - 11/10/2017**

* * *

Much to the contrary of the last visit, Nick knew exactly what to expect. He knew most of the rabbits there and not once did he feel any sort of hatred directed towards him. It was just as Judy figured it would be, relaxing. As they boarded the train, Nick actually felt like he wasn't ready to go back home. It was about six o'clock in the evening and the sun was just beginning to fall below the horizon. The air was cool, but not bitterly cold like it had been when they arrived.

The train lurched forward, causing Nick and Judy to both move a little in their seats, then the gentle sensation of acceleration took over. Now that Judy's parents were more acquainted with him, Nick was able to really appreciate who they were. They were the definition of the perfect couple. He had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with them, and Nick thought more about how well they got along with each other, despite being married for many years. Nick pondered the visit and how his expectations had been completely blown out of the water, and he was now thinking about when they could go back.

"We'll have to go back soon." Judy looked at Nick with surprise in her eyes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Nick. I still can't believe that everyone got along with you so well." Judy was incredibly relieved that the visit had been a success as well. She didn't think there would be any issues, but even she was still skeptical of how her family would act around Nick, especially since some of them hadn't met Nick the first time.

The train ride seemed to go much faster than it did going to the burrows. The countryside slowly became more and more filled with houses until the city came into view. As they traveled further into the metropolis, Judy was reminded once again of her first time coming to the city. It seemed like it was ages ago that she had no idea what to expect from the city she had come to call home.

The train went through the various districts of the city, finally leading to the city center and came to a stop at the station. Nick and Judy grabbed all of their luggage and walked off of the train. They went up the large escalator to the upper portion of the train station where Nick flagged down a taxi and they both climbed in. Nick told the driver where to go and he took off. Even though the visit had been relaxing, he still wasn't caught up on his meaningful sleep. He yawned several times on his way home.

While the countryside was a nice change of pace for Nick, he saw comfort in the bustling city scene he had returned to, in particular, what he would need to say tomorrow morning. He had kept everyone at the precinct in the dark about his condition since he found out, and he felt a bit bad for not speaking to them for so long, but he was sure they would understand. He had gone through a lot in the last three days and it was only going to continue to add up.

The driver pulled up to the front of their apartment building. Nick paid the driver and they got out of the taxi, grabbing their bags. The car drove off and Nick and Judy walked to the front door of the large building.

Nick opened the door and allowed Judy in first. They walked up to the fourth floor of the apartment where their room was located. Nick grabbed the keys out of the pocket of his pants and unlocked the door. He opened it and walked in, welcomed by the sight of his own place. It was only nine o'clock, but he was feeling like he hadn't slept in days. That was how he had begun to feel pretty much all of the time, though. He didn't know for sure what was causing it, but he could make a pretty good guess. Nick walked into the bedroom and set his bag on the floor. He poked at some buttons to set the alarm on his clock, then he fell onto the bed. He felt sleep begin to overtake him but was quickly reawoken by Judy.

"Nick. Are you really going to bed?" she queried.

"Yes. I'm a tired foxy," he said, not even bothering to look at Judy or open his mouth very much.

"Did my family wear you out that much?"

"I think so. I'll be wanting to go to bed, though. I've got a big day tomorrow." Judy thought about what he had said. The thought had completely slipped her mind while they were in Bunnyburrow.

"I completely forgot about that…." she said. "I guess you could use as much rest as possible." Nick crawled all the way into the bed and pulled the covers over him, not even bothering to take his clothes off. Judy walked out into the living room and sat down on the couch. She thought about the visit, and about her parents. She really admired them for what they represented, a healthy marriage. It was something that she didn't see too often in the city.

A strong marriage.

The thought popped into Judy's head every so often, but now she shook off the idea entirely. A week ago, she would have thought that marriage would have been in their future, but not at a time like this. Deep in thought, Judy's eyes slowly began to close. Blackness engulfed her thoughts for a split second.

When she opened her eyes, she felt dazed and confused. She looked to the left and right, her eyes set on the small display of a digital clock, reading 12:03. She had fallen asleep on the couch. Judy decided to get up and sleep the rest of the night in her bed, next to the tired foxy, as he so adorably put it. She crawled gently into the bed as to not wake Nick. As soon as she'd gotten into bed, her eyes were closed and the blackness was welcomed once again.

* * *

Nick awoke with a start, his alarm blaring and his head pounding. He reached for the small digital clock and hit his fist on top to shut off the alarm. He got up as soon as the alarm was off and began his morning routine, starting with waking up Judy. Surprisingly, she was the one who was slow today, even though Mondays were Nick's least favorite days. He walked around to the other side of the bed and poked at her shoulder. Nothing. She shifted slightly at his touch but continued on sleeping. This caused Nick to go to extreme measures. He took his paw and placed it on her face, covering all of her features and shook side to side. A violet orb appeared between Nick's fingers and Judy quickly threw her paws at his to get it off of her face. She sat up in bed, breathing heavily, and glared at Nick. He did not reply with words, only a sly grin on his face.

"I thought you hated Mondays," Judy said.

"I still do. That's never going to change. But that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun." Nick walked out of the room and into the bathroom, leaving Judy to brood about Nick's unconventional methods of waking her up. The door closed and soon enough the sound of running water came through the closed door. Judy got up and laid out her uniform. She walked out into the kitchen and began brewing a pot of coffee. She got out two identical thermoses and set them next to the coffee machine.

The sound of running water stopped and soon Nick walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel. She took the opportunity and got in the shower herself. Nick walked into the bedroom in his towel. He laid out his uniform and dropped the towel. Nick got dressed for the day, taking care to look his best. He always took pride in how he looked in his uniform. After checking to make sure there wasn't a wrinkle anywhere to be seen, he walked out into the kitchen, catching a whiff of the freshly brewed coffee. He grabbed one of the thermoses that were so conveniently placed right next to the machine and filled it to the top. He took a careful sip of the steamy liquid and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Straight black. Just the way he liked it.

Nick walked out to the living room and sat down, coffee in paw. The sound of water running stopped and then the door to the bathroom opened. Judy walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Nick figured that he should probably grab a heavier coat for this morning, as it was still quite cold outside. He walked to the bedroom and turned the handle on the door.

"Nick! I'm still naked in here!" Judy screamed from the other side of the door. He quickly shut the door and let go of the handle. He walked away from the door and stood around for another few minutes. He knocked on the door a couple of times, but he got no reply. The door opened up and Judy stood, looking at Nick. "What do you want?" she said irritably.

"I just needed to grab my coat," he said.

"Oh… ok.' she replied, realizing that she had overreacted. Nick walked into the room and grabbed his heavier coat from the closet. He turned the light off in the room and shut the door. Judy was standing next to the door, coffee in hand, and tapping her foot slightly.

"Ready to go, Carrots?" Nick asked.

"I've been waiting for a whole 38 seconds. What's taking you so long, Wilde?" she joked. Nick opened the door of the apartment and they both walked out. He shut the door and twisted the key to lock it. The commute to the precinct was filled with nothing but silence and the occasional look at each other. Nick had been deep in thought throughout the entire walk to the station and the ride to the precinct, considering what he should say to everyone. The thoughts of how they would react stayed in his mind as they exited the subway and walked up to the doors of the precinct.

Clawhauser was situated at the front desk, not really paying attention to the large space around him like he should be. Nick and Judy walked by the desk and Clawhauser looked up for a split second, finally noticing the two walking by him. He said nothing to them as they slipped into the bullpen, out of his view. They took a seat near the front of the room and next to each other. Still, no words had been uttered between the two since they left the apartment. Judy could sense the discontent that was looming over Nick, and she decided that it was best for her to just leave him alone for now. Some of the animals in the room noticed the two enter and stared at them for a while. As they got situated in their seats, the room began to get quieter until the whole bullpen was dead silent. Everyone was now staring at the two, but Judy could tell that all of the stares were mostly directed towards Nick. After a few moments, some of the casual conversation came back, providing a little bit of noise in the background, but the room was still largely silent. Officer Faxon Howlson stood up from the crowd and walked over to Nick and Judy. He stood next to them for a second, looking down to them.

"Welcome back, Wilde. I sure hope everything's alright." Howlson said.

"You'll find out when the chief gets in. I'll say this, I'm not too excited to deliver the news." Nick replied. Faxon gave back a slightly disturbed but reassuring look and walked back to his seat. Just as he sat down, Chief Bogo walked in the door and everyone stood up. He walked over to the podium and set down a small file folder. He put on his glasses and cleared his throat.

"Everybody sit!" he commanded. Without question, everybody sat down in unison. "We have a few things to take care of before assignments. I would first like to welcome Officer Wilde back from his leave. Is there anything you would like to say to the lot of us?" Nick swallowed as he stood up. His paws were shaking and he felt the room get warmer and warmer.

"Uh… yes. I do." Nick felt the entire room staring at him, and he could even hear some hearts thumping in anticipation. It was obvious that everyone was eager to hear the news, but he knew their attitudes would change when they actually heard it.

"On Friday… I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's also likely that I won't live past 2019. They only gave me two months…" Silence reigned supreme in the bullpen those few moments after Nick finished delivering the news. He looked around the room and saw nothing but blank expressions. It was bad news, but nobody really knew how to react to it.

Bogo had no change of emotion on his face, but the way he continued with announcements told everyone that he was not liking the news. Bogo went on to give out assignments. He read off several names, the corresponding officers stood up and left the room to complete their tasks for the day.

"Hopps, Wilde. My office," Bogo said. "Dismissed!" Nick and Judy looked at each other, confused. They both wondered what he would want to say to them. They got out of their chairs and began walking up to Bogo's office, receiving sympathetic looks from other officers as they exited the room. Walking up the stairs to Bogo's office, both of them were silent. Nick saw Bogo standing outside his office and he gestured to the much smaller animals to walk in and have a seat. Bogo closed the door behind him and he sat down at his desk.

"Hopps, Wilde. Never in my time as chief have I been made speechless so much. The first time that happened was after you solved the missing mammal cases," he said as he gestured to Judy. "Now, I once again don't know what to say. No words can describe how I feel, but there are some things we need to discuss, specifically with you, Wilde. I need to know what you are going to do about your duties in time." Nick was confused by the question.

"Do you mean you want to know when my last day will be?" Nick asked.

"That is precisely what I want to know. Surely you won't be fit to perform your duties in perhaps a few weeks, though it pains me to say that." Bogo replied.

"Unfortunately, I don't know when that will be. I still don't know how this will affect my body, my strength, or anything really, so making a prediction on that will not be possible, sir."

"Very well. I just want to make sure you are not putting yourself through too much stress."

"I appreciate the concern, sir, but I'm as unsure as you are," Nick said.

"We'll just have to take things as they come. As for your assignment, I'll propose something for you. Howlson and Gilmore are working on a case involving a string of armed robberies that are most likely related. Think you could give them some help?" Bogo asked. It had been a while since Nick and Judy had been assigned a proper case, and this may be as close as they could get. Nick looked as Judy and she gave him a nod.

"We'll be glad to help," Nick replied.

"Splendid. Go find Howlson and Gilmore. They'll catch you up on everything. Dismissed." Nick and Judy got up and walked out of the office. Nick could tell that Judy was excited about the case, and Nick was feeling a bit giddy as well, though he kept his emotions in check. He had longed for a case to work on for the last few months, but they hadn't been assigned one. They walked out into the large common room of the ZPD, in search of Officer Faxon Howlson. Neither of the two knew Gilmore. The mystery officer was still fairly new. Nick looked around, trying to find the messy fur on top of Howlson's head. Nick spotted him walking into an office and they followed him to the room. They knocked on the door and waited for about 10 seconds before a female cougar answered.

"Can I help you two?" she asked.

"Oh, hi. I'm Officer Hopps. We were told to assist Officer Howlson and Gilmore in a case," Judy replied.

"Well, you've come to the right place. I'm Officer Carley Gilmore. I'm Officer Howlson's partner." Nick and Judy walked into the room and gave each other a confused glare. Had they really just assumed Howlson's partner to be male? They both let out a stifled giggle as they realized their mistake. He was sitting at the only computer in the room, looking through his e-mails before beginning. He swiveled around in his chair dramatically with his paws folded. Judy almost burst out laughing at the sight. She would never get used to Fax's sense of humor.

"Welcome," he said very egregiously. His tone changed almost immediately when he realized who else had entered the room. "What are you two doing here?" he said, confused.

"Bogo told us that you needed assistance with a case," Nick said.

"Ok, good. He does listen... that buffalo." Fax stood up from his chair and began pacing around the room "Yes, we need some help. Did he give you any specifics of the case?" He asked.

"Just that it dealt with a string of armed robberies, likely related."

"Well, we've been working on the case since Wednesday, and we've found out quite a bit since then," Fax said.

"We know that they are related to the same mammal of interest. All five robberies have happened to convenience stores and gas stations within a 10-mile radius of each other. We've narrowed down the next target to three possible locations, which is something we can manage a lot more easily than the many we had before. So what needs to happen is we need to take a look at these locations, find a good spot to stay hidden and wait for something to happen," Carley said. Nick and Judy looked at each other and nodded.

"Do you know exactly when the next one will take place?" Judy asked.

"There is no specific time, but they have all occurred every other day. The next one is expected to happen tomorrow night at one of three locations. 4th and Grange, 5th and South Bay Ave, or 6th and Acacia." He said.

"So we are going to have a stakeout at all three of the locations?" Nick asked.

"Precisely. We'll get another pair to assist us so that we have two officers at each target. They're fairly close to each other, so if anything goes haywire, we won't be far." Judy swallowed a lump in her throat when Carley said this. She hated thinking about anything going wrong, even though sometimes it couldn't be avoided.

"Where do you want us to go?" Judy asked.

"You can take 6th and Acacia. It's the least likely to be hit, but it's still an option. Head over there, find a good place to stay, and then you're free for the rest of the day, at least that's what Bogo said. I'll talk to Bogo to get permission for a stakeout, then I'll go check out the other two places with Officer Gilmore," Fax said.

"Perfect. We'll get right on that." With those final words, the group broke into each of their tasks, Nick and Judy leaving the room together. They walked out to the patrol cars and Nick flicked on his aviators, slowing his walking speed as if he were walking to the beat of a song. A smirk appeared on his face as he lagged behind Judy, who was eager to get to work. She stopped and looked back at Nick.

"You look ridiculous." she blurted.

"To you, maybe. But I know that I'm fabulous," he said, all tones of modesty absent from his voice. Judy shook her head.

"Just get in the car," she said impatiently. Nick could sense that she was growing more impatient with every slow step he took, and so he sped up his walking pace and got in the passenger seat of the patrol car. Judy turned the key and the engine roared to life. She threw it into gear and took off, Nick being thrust back into his seat a little bit more than expected.

"Take it easy, Carrots. The engine is still super cold." Judy ignored him and kept driving, staring at the road ahead.

"So we need to go to 6th and Acacia, right?" she asked.

"Yep. Just keep heading down this way for a few miles. It'll be on the right side." Judy nodded in affirmation. The next few minutes were spent in nothing but silence.

Nick went deep into thought, still thinking about the visit to Bunnyburrow. His mind was stuck on Judy's parents. They really were the perfect couple. Nick couldn't shake the thoughts from his head. Marriage. He'd thought about it on a few occasions before, but now he couldn't really get it out.

 _I can't… couldn't do that to her…_ Nick thought. He couldn't possibly do that, knowing what was to come. Considering the effect it could have on his performance today, he shook the thoughts off as well as he could and focused on the case.

Judy's mind was in complete disarray, and thoughts were running rampant in her head. Her parents had told her something that made her want Nick more than ever. She wanted him to finally ask her that one simple question, but did Nick want to go through with it? She didn't want to force him, especially if that wasn't what he was looking for in their relationship. She didn't want to be too distant today, so trying her best to focus on the case, she continued driving to their destination.

Judy pulled the patrol car into the lot of a strip mall across the road to the small gas station. They had been looking for a good spot to stay the night for about 10 minutes, but nothing on the same side of the street worked. This place gave them a good view of everybody entering and leaving the building, and they were far enough away as not to arouse any suspicion.

"This seems like the spot to me."

"I think you're right," Judy replied. "We'll head back to the station, finish some things up with Fax and Carley, and then back home to do nothing for the rest of the day.

"I guess we should head back then," Nick said. Without any more words, Judy pulled out of the parking lot and took off in the direction of the ZPD. Several minutes passed in complete silence until Judy spoke.

"This is exciting, isn't it?"

"What?" Nick asked.

"Our first stakeout! I've always wanted to experience one."

"I wouldn't get too excited. All I know is that there is a lot of waiting and doing nothing for hours."

"Well, at least I'll be waiting and doing nothing for hours with you."

"Oh, how dare you try to flatter me, ma'am," he replied, to which Judy swatted at him while she drove, being sure to keep her eyes on the road. He always knew what to say to make her feel strange but in a good way. It was part of the reason they were together in the first place. He just made her feel good inside.

Judy began to feel her ears turn red. Nick could tell that she was embarrassed. He looked out the window, watching the buildings and other mammals go by. Before he knew it, they had pulled up to the ZPD headquarters. Judy pulled the car into its spot and she turned it off. They both hopped out of the car and walked inside, trying to find Howlson.

"Hey, Clawhauser!" Nick shouted. Ben looked up from his phone and tried to find out where he heard his name being called from. "Right here, buddy!" Nick said. Clawhauser looked at Nick and smiled, but it quickly turned into a half frown.

"What's up?" Clawhauser asked.

"Have you seen Howlson anywhere?"

"Not since he left earlier this morning. I would think he's still out and about." Nick looked slightly disappointed. He had hoped they would have been back by now.

"Ok, well when he gets back could you tell him to meet us back in room A113?" Nick asked.

"Sure thing, Nick," Clawhauser said, sounding like someone had stolen a box of his donuts.

"What's goin' on, buddy?" Judy asked. She could tell that something was bothering him.

"Oh, I heard about what happened this morning." Nick looked at Ben, concerned for the cheetah.

"Listen, Ben. I don't want you to feel bad for me. I'm doing just fine right now. You gotta live in the moment every once in awhile and not think too much about the future. Put a smile on your face. This place feels dark and dreary without it." Nick said, hoping to cheer him up. Clawhauser's face quickly lit up into that full face grin he got when he was extra excited.

"No problem, Nick!" he replied.

"Awesome. Have a good rest of your day," Nick said as he waved goodbye. Nick had a smirk appear on his face while they walked to the office space they were in earlier that morning. Nick opened the door and allowed Judy in first. He walked in after her and closed the door.

The next few minutes were spent sitting in complete silence as they eagerly awaited Howlson and Gilmore's return. Nick sat in the same swivel chair that Howlson was in earlier, and Judy sat in one of the chairs at the small meeting table, both of them twiddling their fingers, waiting for their return. After about five minutes of waiting a knock sounded at the door. Judy stood up and opened it, revealing Howlson, followed by Gilmore.

"Hello, hello. I hope your trip was a success," Howlson said.

"Sure was. Why? Was your trip not a success?" Judy asked.

"No, everything went great. We found spots to set up, we got the ok from Bogo for the stakeout tomorrow night, and we got Higgins and Jones to take the third location," he replied.

"And before you go, we need to go over the plan for the stakeout." Carley said "You'll meet here in this room by eight o'clock tomorrow night. There we'll confirm locations and get three unmarked patrol cars, that way if we make an arrest, we'll be prepared."

"We better be making an arrest tomorrow," Howlson said somewhat annoyed. "I'll be damned if we don't get this guy." Carley gave Faxon a dirty look after he interrupted her.

"As I was saying, you'll be in the unmarked cars. Be in position no later than eight thirty. Then we wait. Also, don't be afraid to let us or team Higgins/Jones know if you have any suspicious activity."

"Gotcha. Eight o'clock, meet here. In position before eight-thirty," Nick said.

"Ok. You're free to go do nothing the rest of the day... after you go up to Bogo's office. He said he wanted to talk to you, Judy, and he didn't seem to happy about it," Faxon said. Judy's eyes widened. She had no idea what he could want, or what this meant to her. Her heart rate increased and her breathing became heavier. A smile appeared on the wolf's face and he started giggling a little bit. Judy's ears turned a bright red.

"I got you good!" he yelled. "In all seriousness, you can go." Judy walked by and shot him a deadly glare.

"That wasn't very professional, Officer Howlson. I might just have to bring this up with the Chief. Misconduct behind the doors of the ZPD is still misconduct." Judy said, trying as hard as she could to keep a straight face.

"Woah, it was a joke, Hopps. No need to be so serious." Howlson said, his mood changing almost instantly.

"Gotcha, Fax," Judy said, giving him a pat on the arm as she walked out of the room. Realising what just happened, he stared at the wall opposite him, mouth hanging open slightly. Carley stood next to Faxon, holding her paws over her face, barely suppressing laughter. Nick walked out after Judy and whispered in his ear.

"You just got hustled, bro."

The sight of their apartment welcomed Judy with open arms. Despite it only being a little past ten, she was feeling very tired. Sleep did not come easily last night after she fell asleep on the couch, and a restless night followed.

"I think I'm going to take a nap…" she said while yawning.

"I'm not going to stop you," Nick said. He plopped down on the couch and pulled out his phone. "But that actually sounds like a good idea."

"I'll be in the bedroom if you need me." She walked into the bedroom and shut the door. Nick spaced out, staring at the screen of his phone for minutes until it automatically shut off, breaking him from his trance. He had sat in the same spot, not moving for the last ten minutes. Nick got up and opened the door to the bedroom quietly.

He peeked inside, making sure that Judy was actually asleep. He saw the rising and falling of her breathing in the sheets on the bed. He shut the door as quietly as he'd opened it and walked into the kitchen, found a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled something on it. Nick walked out the door and down the stairs, out of the apartment building.

* * *

Judy woke to the sound of the front door closing. She got up, still groggy from the little sleep she had managed since they got home. She opened the door and looked out into the hall. Everything was dead quiet. She went into the living room, which was missing a certain fox. Confused, Judy continued her search for Nick. She went into the kitchen and saw a note laying on the counter, on it was Nick's scribbly penmanship. The red ink read, "I'll be back in a bit. I need to take care of something." She set the note back on the counter, and walked back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She climbed into the bed, pulled the covers back over her, and once again she was fast asleep.


	6. Love Can Kill

**Remastered - 11/12/2017**

* * *

 _The sights and sounds of the scene around them were almost entirely phased out. Amidst the blue and red flashing lights, her terrified form looked directly into his soul. She stared at his shoulder and the blood that currently flowed slowly through his fur. She stared at his paws, which were covered with the red liquid. He stared at her, thinking that this was probably not the best time, but he didn't care. He wiped his paws on his uniform; it was already ruined from earlier._

 _He didn't have a choice. It was now or never._

 _Nick fell to his knee…_

* * *

For the second time, Judy was woken up by the sound of the door being shut. She grabbed her phone, seeing that she had only been asleep for about 45 minutes. She got out of bed and opened the door, seeing Nick walk into the living room. She walked around the corner and saw him sit down on the couch, clearly out of breath from walking up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Nick jumped a little at the sound of her voice.

"Oh, I… uh. I was just out, running an errand…" he said. It wasn't a blatant lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Ok." She didn't press the issue, but she found it a little strange that Nick would be hiding something from her.

"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"Well, I really wanted to take a nap, and I still plan on that. So how about I do that then we can get something to eat? I was thinking that cafe that's near the station that we really like."

"I suppose that sounds good. And how about a movie marathon when we get done with that? Watch movies until our eyes dry up?" A smile appeared on Judy's face.

"I like the way you think, fox. I've got plenty to watch. Let's make it happen." With that, she left the living room and went back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Nick let out a sigh of relief. He didn't think she would be awake when he came home, so it was a bit of surprise when she came out into the living room.

Nick didn't feel tired, so he decided to just sit on the couch for a while and think. He'd been doing it a lot recently because he had a lot to think about. Every so often, Nick found himself up at night, unable to fall asleep and just thinking about how much of a turn his life had taken in the last week. At times his thinking was painful because he knew that no matter what he did with his remaining time it was all going to end the same way.

Nick didn't realize it, but he'd been staring at the bulge in his pocket for almost an hour, thinking about life and what it meant to truly be alive. It never crossed his mind before, but now that he knew it would be over soon he started to feel the desire to know the answer to that question. He didn't know it now, but he knew that one day he would understand. A sudden growl from his stomach told him it was time to get off of the couch and do anything else. He felt the outside of his pocket, wondering when the best time to show Judy what he bought. He didn't know, but he figured he would when the time came.

Nick removed the item from his pocket and walked into the kitchen. Opening the highest cupboard, he placed it inside for temporary safekeeping. He didn't want to have it on himself for fear that she would ask what it was, or that he might end up losing it.

After stowing away his recent purchase, Nick quietly opened the door to their bedroom and looked at his sleeping bunny. He crept up to her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Carrots. It's almost one o'clock. We should go eat." Judy's eyes popped open and she blinked a few times in rapid succession to adjust them to the light of the afternoon.

"How long have I been asleep?" she said in a quiet, raspy voice.

"Plenty for a nap. Time to get up," Nick said, starting to shake her more vigorously. She started giggling and shoved his paws away from her.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" she said, pushing the covers off of herself and getting out of bed. She walked into the bathroom and quickly combed all of her fur which was sticking out at all sorts of angles.

"Ready to go?" she asked, walking out of the bathroom.

"Yup," Nick said, and they walked out of the apartment.

* * *

"I've got the potato chowder?" the waitress asked.

"That's me," Nick said as he held up his paw. The female gazelle set the steaming bowl of chowder on the table in front of Nick and he stared at it, awaiting his first, likely painful bite.

"And the broccoli and cheese?"

"Right here," Judy said, and the bowl was also placed in front of her.

"Can I get you two anything else now?" she asked.

"Nope. I think we're good for now." The waitress left the table and Nick grabbed his spoon and scooped up the chowder, examined the spoonful, gave it a little blow to try and cool it off, then took a bite, instantly blowing and puffing and waving his paws at his muzzle, the spoon clattering to the table. Judy shook her head at the ridiculous scene he was making.

"Hot… hot… hot…" he panted as his mouth finally cooled down to a tolerable level.

"I know I am, you don't need to go and announce it to the whole restaurant," Judy said, giving Nick a wink as he shook his head with a smile.

"A little bit narcissistic there, don't ya think?"

"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure you agree, am I right?"

"Of course," Nick said as he gathered another spoonful of his chowder, to which he proceeded to enjoy for a split second before he learned once again that it was too hot.

"Don't you think it would be best to wait a little, that way you could enjoy your food?"

"Not at all, Carrots. I think I have this under control," he said as he got yet another spoonful, and blew on it a little longer this time. It was still too hot, but he kept his composure, doing his best to hide his discomfort.

"Ok. you're going to have blisters on your tongue before we leave if you keep doing that." She grabbed the bowl and pulled it closer to her so that he wouldn't be tempted to take another bite before it was cool enough. "Now, I know you were excited to go back to Bunnyburrow, so why don't we figure out when we can before the end of the month. If we wait too long it will only keep getting colder."

"How about next weekend? We leave that Friday night and stay until Sunday night."

"What about the weekend after that. We could get Thursday and Friday off so we could have Thanksgiving there." Judy said. Nick began pondering whether that would be better.

"You know what. I think that would work much, much better. The only issue would be to get Chief to give us the time off."

"I think he'd be fine with that," she said.

"Then it's settled. Now can I have my food back?" Nick said, reaching for the bowl. They sat in silence as they finished their food. Every once in awhile, Nick looked up at Judy but quickly went back to scooping the chowder into his face, letting out quiet moans of satisfaction. When they were finished, the waitress took their bowls and gave them the bill. Judy reached for the check, but Nick got to it first.

"I don't think so, Carrots. I'm getting this one," he said as he slipped his card into the folder and set it on the edge of the table.

"You know I always get dinner." Judy pouted.

"Yeah, but maybe I still believe in chivalry, unlike some others. And besides, we pretty much share our money. I don't think it matters who put the card in the little folder."

"Oh, what a gentle-mammal. I'm so flattered," she said sarcastically. Nick smiled at her, admiring the way she made fun of him. The waitress grabbed the small, black folder and soon enough was back with Nick's card. The two got up from the table and walked out into the cool air. Back at the apartment, they walked up the stairs and over to their room. Nick grabbed the keys and unlocked the door, letting Judy in first. Nick shut the door behind him.

"What do you want to begin with?" Nick asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"The movies. What movie do you want to begin with?" Nick said.

"Oh. Yeah. I kinda forgot about that. Let's just start from the top of the pile."

"The pile?" Nick looked at where Judy was standing and saw a stack of DVD cases that was almost as tall as she was, including her ears. "I suppose if you can reach the top." Nick joked.

"Oh, hush. Let's just get this started." Judy grabbed the first movie from the top, put it in the DVD player and sat back on the couch, snuggled up next to Nick. He put his arm around her and she rested her head against his rising and falling chest.

* * *

"Nick, it's 7:30. We need to get going," Judy yelled from outside the bedroom.

"I know. I know. Just give me a second." Judy waited for another few minutes. Her foot began thumping as she grew more and more impatient. She knocked on the door again.

"Nick! Let's go! I don't want to be late!" she yelled. Right as she yelled, the door opened and Nick popped out of the room.

"Let's calm down a bit, Carrots. We're going to be fine. We have 25 minutes to get to the station."

"I know. I just really don't want to be late. I'm a little excited."

"Yeah, so am I, but let's try to stay professional. This is kind of a serious matter."

"Ok. Ok. The game face has been put on. Let's make the world a better place."

"That's the spirit, Carrots. Let's do this," Nick said, placing his paws on his hips and arbitrarily looking off into the distance, which was actually a wall of the apartment.

"You are seriously a moron, you know that?" Judy said sarcastically.

"I know, but I know you still love me."

"Sometimes I hate that I love you, but I still love you all the same," Judy joked. They walked out the door and outside into the cool evening air. The sun had already set and the city was in twilight, only a small part of the sky dimly lit by the sun. The sky was incredibly clear and many stars were beginning to become visible, despite the bright lights of the city. Nick's breath was barely visible in the cold, but he was not phased by it as he had a heavy coat on over his uniform.

The walk to the subway station was silent, both of them thinking about the events of the night. They walked side by side, not speaking to each other, letting their arms swing freely at their sides. They entered the subway, and sat down next to each other, looking around at the other mammals on board. They began accelerating and felt the force push them to the side a little.

When they arrived at the ZPD, they walked inside and went straight for room A113, eager to begin their night.

"Glad you could join us, Hopps and Wilde," Howlson said as they walked inside, only a couple of minutes behind schedule. "Well, now that all parties are here, let's begin a quick briefing. We're looking for a mammal with white fur, and about five feet tall. The mammal should have dark clothing on, and likely will have something covering the facial regions. Stay alert, stay sharp. Let's do this." After Howlson gave his briefing, Officer Gilmore reminded everyone of where they were to go.

"Once again, Hopps and Wilde go to 6th and Acacia. Higgins and Jones to 5th and South Bay Avenue. Howlson and I will take 4th and Grange. Let everyone know when you get into position. Keep quiet and leave motion to a minimum. We don't want to give ourselves away. And a word from the chief: Absolutely no napping. He told everyone to bring coffee, energy drinks, a bucket of cold water, anything to keep us awake and alert. This could take a while."

After her words, they all left the room and went to the garage. Each team got into an unmarked vehicle. Judy hopped into the passenger seat and allowed Nick to drive. He turned the key and flicked on the lights. He put the car in first and took off. Remaining silent for the entirety of the drive, both of them had to mentally prepare themselves for a possibly uneventful night. It was most likely that they would be support. Their location was deemed least likely to be hit.

When they pulled into the parking lot across the street, Nick turned off the car and grabbed the radio holstered in the center of the vehicle.

"Ghostrider, this is Foxtrot. We're in position, over."

" _10-4, Foxtrot. Keep a close eye out for anything suspicious. Report everything deemed necessary, either to us or Charlie or both, over,"_ Howlson's voice said over the radio. Judy grabbed her large thermos of coffee and took a sip of the steamy, black liquid. They had packed two 24 ounce thermoses and filled them to the brim with coffee for tonight, as they would need to stay awake for a while. They had also layered up with clothing as they couldn't keep the car running to use the heater.

Nick had brought his binoculars with and he was looking over at the gas station's front door, examining the mammals entering and leaving.

" _Foxtrot, this is Charlie. We are in position, over,"_ the voice said. Judy grabbed the radio.

"10-4, Charlie, we're just waiting on Ghostrider to be in position. They'll let us know when they are, over." Judy put the mic back in the holster on the dash of the car.

"Now do you know what I meant when I said that stakeouts are really boring?" Nick asked.

"So far, it's not too bad, but I'm sure that'll change in about an hour," Judy replied. They were silent for just a few moments before Nick spoke again.

"What do you think of Carley?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean? Do you not like her?" she replied.

"I don't know. There's something odd about her, that she seems to have much more experience than she does. You know how fresh out of the academy she is."

"I know. You really don't expect her to be the way she is."

"How so?" Nick asked.

"Well, she definitely isn't from around here. That accent is unlike anything I'd ever heard, except for in the movies maybe."

"Howlson is a rule enforcer when he's not goofing around himself, so I can kinda see that she may have picked up a few things from working with him." Nick was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the radio.

" _Foxtrot, this is Ghostrider. We are in position. That's all units, over,"_ Carley's voice said.

"10-4, Ghostrider. Let's get this scumbag."

" _Hoorah, Wilde,"_ she said. Nick raised an eyebrow when she said this.

"Gilmore, let me ask you a question. What did you do before this? Over." Nick asked.

" _I was in the military. I was stationed overseas twice and I got a lot of battle-time out there. Why do you ask? Over."_ Nick and Judy looked at each other.

"That explains a lot. I noticed you seemed to be very acquainted with things like this, over."

" _I've gotten that a lot. This is a little safer than being on the front line, over."_ Nick looked at Judy.

"I guess that clears things up…" Nick said. They both sat in silence, occasionally taking a sip from the large thermoses. This was going to take some time.

* * *

It was nearly three hours of nothing but sitting and watching. The time seemed to crawl while they hoped for something to happen, but each passing minute Judy's patience grew thinner, the amount of coffee in her thermos became less and less, and her eyelids got closer and closer to closing all the way.

As Nick began to feel just as tired as Judy did, some motion at the gas station caught their attention. A sedan pulled up to the front entrance and a single mammal got out of the driver's seat. Nick, using his binoculars, could tell that this was the guy they were looking for.

"We've got a mammal with white fur and dressed in all black at 6th and Acacia. Ski mask covering the face. We're going to move in, over."

" _10-4, Foxtrot. Keep us posted. We are heading over right now."_ Nick and Judy both got out of the car, the cold air nipping at their ears. Nick and Judy crossed the street and walked over to the pumps, being careful not to be seen by the perp, who Nick thought was a male wolf. Nick looked through the window, seeing the wolf pointing a handgun at the clerk, who was rushing to put all of the money in the store into a bag. Nick looked at Judy.

"He's got a gun, Carrots. We need to be careful," he said.

"You think I don't know that?!" Judy said. As she said this, she heard two shots go off. Everyone in the station ducked down and the mammal walked over to the front door, putting a chain on the handles and locking them together. They had not been seen.

"Attention all units. Shots fired. We've got hostages inside the store. We need some backup." Nick said on the radio by his shoulder. Nick and Judy both pulled out their firearms and made sure that they were ready in case they needed to use them.

" _Copy that, Foxtrot. Backup is en route, over."_ the voice on the radio said. Nick motioned with his paw to move over to the wall of the store. They ran across the tarmac by the car. As they passed the car, the mammal inside saw them running and fired twice, shattering the glass of the door and hitting the car he had driven here. Nick dove to cover just barely dodging the bullets. As they took cover, Nick could hear sirens approaching the building. Blue and red lights came into view and four patrol cars came barreling into the lot of the gas station. Eight officers exited the cars and drew their weapons. Nick and Judy waved over to the officers to get their attention. Higgins and Jones ran over to them.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Higgins asked.

"Whoever's doing this is in there with an unknown number of hostages, and there might be a casualty. We heard two shots go off that were directed inside the store." Nick said.

"Alright, well get back to the cars. It's much safer over there," he said. They ran back across to take cover behind the cars. As they got to cover, the mammal had removed his mask and held a young badger in one of his arms, holding the handgun up to her head. Through the shattered glass of the door, the timberwolf yelled out to the crowd of officers.

"You shoot, the badger gets it! Don't even think about it!"

"Let her go! This won't end well for you either way!" Nick yelled back.

"You are going to let me go, and you won't chase after me! Ya hear that, fox!?"

"Ain't gonna happen, scumbag! Put the badger down and everything will go much smoother!" The wolf walked away from the door and out of the view of the officers. After about a minute, the wolf came back to the door with the same badger. He grabbed the lock on the door and shot it, removing the chain from the door. After he removed the chain, six mammals ran from the confines of the store and to the police.

"Come and get me!" the wolf yelled as he ran back into the store. He knew he was done for, but he apparently didn't care to give them an easy time catching him.

Nick, Higgins, and Howlson all began slowly walking up to the doors, pistols drawn and ready. They opened the door and walked inside. Nick moved to the left, towards the counter where he could hear some heavy and distressed breathing. He looked over the counter to see the clerk, lying on the floor, paw pressing on his abdomen. The older cheetah had been shot and was now in great danger of bleeding out. Nick hopped over the counter and knelt down by him.

"You're going to be alright sir. Just keep the pressure on the wound." Nick spoke into his radio. "We need to get an ambulance, the clerk has a bullet wound in the abdomen, heavy bleeding." Nick grabbed a bandage that he had with him and showed it to the cheetah.

"I'll wrap this around the wound. Be sure to keep the pressure on it." The cheetah nodded quickly and Nick wrapped the bandage around the wound, getting a little blood on his paws in the process. Nick stood up and looked around, seeing Howlson and Higgins still searching the relatively large store.

From the opposite corner of the store, the wolf jumped up, firing off an entire magazine of bullets. Before they could react, Higgins was hit in the shoulder, and he fell to the ground. Nick quickly fired three shots, however, none of them were with any particular aim due to him crouching behind a display for cover. His ears did catch the sound of a bullet smacking meat. He definitely hit the timberwolf.

Listening for any sort of movement, Nick deduced that he could come out of his cover. He walked past Higgins, who was currently being tended to by Howlson. Nick weaved through the aisles until he made it to the opposite side of the store where the wolf lay on the ground. A pool of blood surrounded his body, and it all came from a single hole at the base of his neck. Nick knelt down and grabbed his wrist to feel for a pulse. He felt nothing.

"He's down. We got him," he said into the radio, albeit a little reluctantly. A small frown began to appear on his face. Nick looked at his left arm, the sleeve of his shirt was drenched in blood. He felt his shoulder and found a hole with his fingers. He removed his paw from the wound and saw that it was covered with blood.

EMT's walked into the store and found the store clerk who was still behind the counter. Some went to Higgins, who had been bandaged up and taken out of the store. When two EMT's made it to Nick, he had been standing, staring at the wolf laying lifeless before his feet. They helped Nick out of the store and brought him to an ambulance, where they treated the wound on his shoulder. The lights of the cars seemed brighter than usual and nearly blinded him when he looked up. Nick looked over at the entrance of the store, seeing a team of medics carrying a gurney with a covered body on it.

Nick couldn't help but quickly look away. His thoughts were racing and he felt like he was completely alone. He had just killed another mammal. He couldn't help but feel guilty, even though he knew that it was for the good of the city; for the safety of everyone else who lived in Zootopia.

The EMT's brought Nick over to one of the ambulances where they sat him down, took off his shirt and began preparing the bullet wound for stitches. They cleaned it with alcohol, which burned really badly, but he managed. They stitched the wound up and wrapped it in a white bandage so that it wouldn't catch on any of his clothes. Shirtless, he stood up and walked over to Howlson's patrol car where Judy was. She got out of the car and looked at him.

"Doing alright?" she asked.

"I don't know. I was shot, I killed someone, and the strangest thing happened with the store clerk. I knelt down by him, and he looked at me. He didn't know if he was going to live or die tonight. I think I saved him. Any longer and he would have probably bled out. But yet, I still don't know how I feel…"

"It's alright, Nick. That got pretty intense in there. Are you sure you're fine?"

"I think I am. It might have just been the blood loss talking, but I think I'm alright now. I'll be ok."

"Good. Just let me know if you're feeling any worse and I can someone to help you," Judy said, giving him a gentle side hug on his good side.

"Thanks, Judy. You're always there for me." Nick knew what he had to do next. "...Which brings me to my next point." After nearly dying and knowing what it was like to have his whole life flash before his eyes, Nick felt something that he was previously unsure about. When the wolf shot at him several times, he saw plenty of people that he cared for, but they all passed by quickly. He saw Judy, but she lingered in his mind for a lot longer than the others. It was a sign for him.

"And what is that?" Judy asked. The sights and sounds of the scene around them were almost entirely phased out. Amidst the blue and red flashing lights, her terrified form looked directly into his soul. She stared at his shoulder and the blood that currently flowed slowly through his fur. She stared at his paws, which were covered with the red liquid. He stared at her, thinking that this was probably not the best time, but he didn't care. He wiped his paws on his uniform; it was already ruined from earlier.

He didn't have a choice. It was now or never.

Nick fell to his knee and did the one thing he didn't think he'd be doing after the diagnosis. He offered the love of his life a diamond ring.

"Judith Laverne Hopps… I want to be there for you just like you are for me. I want to love you for the rest of my life…. Will you marry me?" Nick said, his voice shaky, partially from blood loss, but mostly because he was doing possibly the stupidest thing he could.

Sure, it was stupid, but nobody ever accused love of being rational.

"...yes..." she mumbled at first, but as she brought her paws away from her face, revealing the sweetest smile, she nearly screamed it to the heavens. "Yes! Of course, I will!"

Judy would have said more, but as Nick pulled her into a tight hug, she felt all of the emotions of the last week flow forth and she cried. She cried, but these were tears of joy. After what felt like ages of crying tears of sadness, she finally felt truly happy to the point of tears, and it was more than she could have ever wanted.

The crowd of mammals looked at the two and flashes began emanating from the phones taking pictures. Howlson looked at the two and smiled and he yelled out.

"Looks like we've got a wedding to go to boys!" Both of them stood up when they heard him, looked at each other, and laughed.

* * *

They entered the apartment at 12:30. After the events of the night, Nick and Judy just wanted to go to sleep, but Judy knew that she needed to do something first. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number to her mother's phone. It rang for a few seconds, but then she picked up.

"How's it going sweetheart?" Bonnie said with a tired voice. She clearly did not like being woken up.

"Oh, everything's great. Even though Nick was shot today, everything's good."

"What!? He was shot!?" Judy's mother said in surprise. That woke her up really fast.

"Don't worry. He's fine. See!" Judy turned her phone to show Nick sitting next to her, the bandage going around his left shoulder very visible.

"I've never been better Mrs. Hopps!" Nick said.

"Oh, hi, Nick! Stu, take a look at this! Nick was shot, come see the bandage on his shoulder!" Judy saw her father roll over and look at the phone.

"Holy cripes! Does it hurt?" he asked

"Not right now, but I'm sure it'll be sore in the morning," Nick said.

"Now mom, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Bonnie asked.

"Are you doing anything the weekend of Thanksgiving?" Judy asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay, well, I've heard there is going to be a wedding in Bunnyburrow that weekend."

"Okay, well do you know whose wedding it is? Do you want us to go with you guys?" Bonnie hadn't heard of a wedding going on then, so she was a bit confused.

"Yes, I want you to be there!" Judy said.

"Well, who's wedding is it?" Judy looked at Nick and smiled.

"It's our wedding. We're getting married!"


	7. Tying the Knot and Falling Apart

**Remastered - 11/19/2017 - Happy 1st Birthday, Forty-One Days!**

* * *

"Huh?" Bonnie said in confusion. Judy's father sat silent, completely awestruck by what he had just heard.

"Yeah. We decided to have it in Bunnyburrow so that way you won't have to travel. Isn't this great?" Judy said with an uncanny amount of excitement for how tired she was.

"Judy, are you sure about this? I don't mean to be rude, but doesn't Nick have a big issue?" she whispered as if Nick was in the other room. But he was right there and could hear every single word she said.

"I don't have an issue with this, and neither does Judy. We decided together. Right?" Nick said and Judy nodded.

"It's what we both want. It's for the best."

"Well, I'm in no position to stop you two from doing what will make you happy. Although I'm curious to know how you'll get this all planned in just two weeks," Bonnie said. She did have a point there. Most weddings take months to plan out.

"We have some ideas, but we'll need a lot of help, partly from you and dad. We already decided on an outdoor ceremony, and the reception can be in the backyard, using the pole barn for shelter." Bonnie looked curiously at Judy.

"What about food and drinks, your dress, Nick's tuxedo, the wedding party and their clothing, the cake, and who is going to preside over the ceremony?" Bonnie said.

"We've got plenty of time, mom. How hard could it be?"

Famous. Last. Words.

* * *

"Nick, I have something for you." It was the morning after the incident on 6th and Acacia. Nick and Judy were both given the day off so that Nick could rest his shoulder, but Judy would have to go back to work tomorrow while Nick had the rest of the week off.

"Whatcha got, Carrots?" Nick said, turning around, being careful not to move his left arm too much.

"This is going to be really silly and cheesy, but now that we're engaged, I suppose you should read it. When I was 17, I experienced my first heartbreak, when my boyfriend broke up with me."

"Wait, you had a boyfriend in highschool?" Nick said with surprise.

"Yeah, and I thought that he was the one, but he turned out to be a complete jerk. And so the night he dumped me, I wrote a letter, to my future husband. I vowed to give it to him before the wedding. Now that you are my future husband, I want you to read it." Judy grabbed the piece of folded, lined paper and handed it to Nick. On it was a full page of Judy's neat, curly writing, written in dark black ink. Nick began to scan the page.

" _Dear future husband, there are a few things that you need to know about your future wife before you begin your lives together. First thing, don't be afraid to ask how her day was. You might just learn a little more about her in the process. Smile more, because she likes to see everybody in a good mood, even when things aren't going quite as planned. Be patient with her, because she isn't one who likes to be rushed. She wants to take her time with things, and make sure that everything is as good as it can be. When she says that she's fine, even though she clearly isn't, don't be afraid to put your arm around her shoulder, just to let her know that everything will work out in the end. Don't get into too many arguments, because she hates confrontation._

 _When the tears fall down her face, she really just wants someone to hold her and wipe them away. When she wants something, it's probably best if she gets it, because when she's not satisfied, things just aren't the way they are supposed to be. Little gifts and treasures are the fastest way to cheer her up. That and a kiss on the cheek. Don't hold a grudge with her, because she will never be able to hold one on her future partner for life. Remember that she is always right, even when you both know that to be untrue. Tell her that you love her everyday. Make sure she knows that there is nothing more beautiful than her._

 _Never forget: Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, boastful or prideful. It is not rude, and it does not seek only its own interests. Love is not quick-tempered and does not brood over injury. Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but only with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."_ Nick looked up at Judy, seeing her blush. She rubbed her arm with the opposite paw and looked down at the floor.

"It's super cheesy, isn't it? I actually haven't read it in about ten years, basically since I wrote it."

"No, Judy... It was nice," he said, completely honest.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't be saying that if I didn't mean it." Nick welcomed Judy into a hug, and he stroked the fur on top of her head. "I just hope that my future wife knows exactly what she's getting herself into" he chuckled. Judy couldn't help but laugh a little herself.

"I don't think she would be going through with it if she wasn't prepared," Judy replied. Nick changed the subject.

"Now all joking aside, I need to go down to headquarters and talk to Bogo. There's something that I need to clear up with him." Nick said.

"And what's that?" Judy queried.

"I just need to talk to him," Nick said hastily and he quickly got up and left the apartment, leaving Judy all alone, wondering what was going on. Walking out of the building, Nick was pleased to find that it was a fairly warm day, probably in the upper 60's. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He flicked on his aviator sunglasses and walked to the ZPD.

Nick walked up to the doors of the ZPD headquarters, opening the door for himself. He walked inside and went over to the front desk, getting the attention of Clawhauser.

"Hey, buddy. Chief isn't busy, is he? I need to talk to him." Nick said.

"I'm not sure. Let me check real quick." He spoke into the small microphone on his desk. Nick could faintly hear a reply from Bogo, but he couldn't quite make out the words. "Chief says that he can speak with you."

"Ok, thanks," Nick replied. Nick walked over to the stairs and began his ascent to the upper level of the ZPD headquarters. Nick walked down the corridor a little ways until he made it to Chief Bogo's office. Nick knocked on the frosted glass of the door. From behind the door, Nick heard Bogo welcome him into the office. Nick opened the door and sat himself onto one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I thought I told you to stay at home so you could rest that arm of yours," Bogo said coldly.

"I know, sir, but this is really important." Nick pleaded.

"If this has anything to do with your engagement with Officer Hopps, I'll say it right now that I'm not happy with either of you. That breaks multiple codes about relationships between coworkers" Bogo replied. The coldness in his voice remained.

"I understand, sir, but you won't have to worry about that. I'm here because I'm formally resigning my position." Bogo's eyes widened when he heard what Nick said. "I can no longer properly perform the duties that I'm obligated to, sir, and I know that after my arm is healed I'm going to need to be gone even longer to prepare for the wedding. Probably a week, give or take a few days." Bogo was not liking what he was hearing.

"Does Hopps know of your decision to leave the force?" Bogo sighed.

"No, sir. I haven't told her." Nick replied.

"When exactly will your last day be?" Bogo asked.

"I figured that we take things as they come, say I get in a few days before the wedding, then after that, I'll be done."

"Very well. Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?"

"That is all. Oh, just so you know, the wedding is November 30th. You're invited," Nick said, a smirk appearing on his muzzle. With his last words, Bogo glared at him. Nick took the opportunity to get out of his chair and leave before Bogo gave him any sort of punishment. As Nick was shutting the door, Bogo spoke up.

"Wilde. I'll be there." Bogo said, still with a little coldness in his voice. Nick smiled and shut the door.

* * *

"You what?!" Judy screamed. She was not happy with Nick at all, breathing heavily in frustration.

"It's done, Carrots. You and I both know that this is for the best. We wouldn't be allowed to be partners after the wedding anyways. Please try to understand." Judy continued to breathe heavily as she took in the upsetting news. Nick couldn't just… quit like that. He was better than that. She was breathing heavier and faster, and Nick took notice of this.

"Judy, please try to calm down. I'm not done yet. We'll still have a few more days left to work together," Nick said, hoping to calm her down. He hated to see Judy all flustered like this.

"Ok… I just need a minute to take this all in." Judy said, taking in deep breaths and shutting her eyes. Judy sat down on the couch to try and relax. "So you don't have an official 'last day', correct?" Judy asked, her eyes becoming a little teary.

"Yes. I'm still employed with the ZPD, just not for much longer. I told Bogo that I still wanted to work before the wedding, so there's still time." Nick said and he put his paw on Judy's shoulder. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"I guess this is probably for the best. Isn't it?" Judy said, looking up into Nick's enchanting green eyes.

"That's right… I'm not very excited about it, but it had to be done." Nick said, pulling Judy into a hug. She began crying even harder, wetting Nick's shirt with her tears.

"I don't want you to go, Nick. I don't want to lose you," she sobbed. Nick started feeling weak. Judy's pain and sorrow were really getting to him. He felt his bottom lip quiver slightly and his eyes grew misty. He stroked her back with his paws, feeling her heart beating quickly.

"I know. I know. Just let it all out. That's it." Judy stopped sobbing and they broke the hug. She looked up, getting lost in Nick's eyes, and slowly a smile began to form on her face. "Now that that's out of the way, I think we deserve some ice cream. What do ya say? It's actually really nice outside." Judy let out a few giggles that replaced her sobs.

"I suppose I can't argue with that." she said.

* * *

 _One Week Later…_

Nick had been busy trying to get everything he could in order for the wedding while he was at home alone for the few days following the incident at 6th and Acacia. He'd gotten a lot accomplished, getting tuxes rented for Finnick and Faxon, which were all black except for the shirts, which were navy blue. He'd helped Judy's sister Roseline pick up the dresses for the bridesmaids, which were also navy blue, and he got the cake ordered. Later that day, Judy would ride to Bunnyburrow with Roseline while Nick would take a train. Now he'd been back to work for a couple days, and today was officially his last shift at the ZPD.

Nick walked into the doors of the large building after Judy, taking in all the sights and sounds like it was his first day all over again. He really was going to miss the place. He looked all around, taking in every detail. Nick and Judy had not been assigned anything to make sure they didn't get too deep into a case and have too much work for Judy to finish by herself. They would be doing mindless paperwork all day, but to Judy, nothing could be better than that.

Every once in awhile, she liked to tone things down a bit and just have a good sit-down, taking care of piles and piles of paperwork. Doing that with Nick was something more than just paperwork, it was actually enjoyable. They walked into the large room filled with cubicles and each sat down at their designated desks, which were not too far away from each other, and they got to work.

They had been focused on their work for a few hours before Chief Bogo walked into the room and to Judy's cubicle.

"Hopps, my office now," he said, voice booming in the quiet room. Nick looked up from his work, but soon enough was back to scribbling away with his pencil.

"May I ask why?" Judy said.

"We simply have a few important matters to discuss. Afterwards, you and Wilde can take your lunch break," Bogo replied. Judy got up from her chair and followed Bogo to his office. He opened the door and she walked in, seating herself in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss, sir?" she asked.

"This is regarding your partnership with Officer Wilde. Today is his last day, and I would assume that you still want to have a partner after he has officially left. Do you have any preference? If not, I will decide for you." Judy pondered for a moment, thinking about all of the officers that could possibly be a good fit for her. Several came to mind, but only one certain wolf really jumped out at her.

"If at all possible sir, I would like to have Officer Jessie Jackson be my new partner," Judy said with confidence. Bogo looked at Judy with a blank expression. Over the few years, Judy had worked for the ZPD, she had never seen Bogo get too excited over anything.

"Very well. I'll see what I can do. You are free to go," He replied dully.

"Thank you, sir," Judy replied and she exited the office. Walking over to Nick's cubicle, she knocked on the thin wall. His ears moved towards the sound and he looked over at Judy.

"What's up?" Nick asked.

"Ready for lunch?" Nick's eyes lit up at the mention of food.

"It's like you don't even know me, Carrots. I'm always ready for food!"

* * *

Judy took Nick to one of his favorite places; a simple old-style pizza parlor located downtown and only a few blocks from the ZPD. It had been there since probably the 40's and it made the best pizza in the city, in Nick's opinion and in the opinion of one of the world's most famous culinary magazines. The place was ranked as the number one must-try for pizza enthusiasts.

They planned on sitting and eating there, but a mishap with their order caused it to take a lot longer to make than originally planned, so they had to take their food to go. The manager of the dive was generous enough to give it to them for free, which they were very thankful for.

When they brought it back, they decided it would be best if they just ate at their desks, even though Bogo had a ridiculous "no food" policy in the office. They weren't completely sure of the reason, but apparently, it stemmed from a little bit of a prank that ended up getting Bogo covered in spaghetti. It was almost a legend from within the ZPD, but Nick and Judy felt like it was completely true.

When they got back from the pizza place, they brought their to go boxes with them and began eating the delicious culinary masterpiece. Eventually, Bogo took a stroll through the office and caught Nick first. Nick explained that there was a mistake and their pizza took a lot longer than expected, so he let him off with no punishment.

Right after, Bogo looked over to Judy's cubicle and caught her red-pawed in the middle of a bite. She proceeded to try and bribe him to get out of a punishment but he told her that Nick explained what happened and only gave her a verbal warning.

With five o'clock fast approaching, Judy was racing to get as much done as she could before she left for the day. She was finishing up one last report when she watched the small digital clock on her desk turn from 4:59 to five o'clock. KNowing that her sister was probably already waiting for her to get home from work, Judy quickly filed everything that she needed to and then walked the short distance to Nick's cubicle.

"Ready to go?" Judy asked.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Nick said. They walked down the stairs and out the door of the ZPD. The late afternoon sun was getting lower in the sky and made the air temperature slightly cooler than earlier that afternoon. They had been walking for a while when Nick spoke up, remembering something that he knew Judy was supposed to do that day.

"Weren't you supposed to pick up your dress today?" he said. Stopping in her tracks, Judy's eyes grew incredibly large as she realized her mistake.

"Oh my gosh. I completely forgot!" she said in surprise. "I was going to do that over lunch! Roseline is probably waiting at the apartment right now to pick me up!" Judy turned and looked at Nick. "I'd better run…" Judy said. She took off in the direction of the apartment and Nick watched as she turned the corner.

"Good luck, Carrots," he said to himself. He continued walking until he got to the subway station and got on. The subway made it's short journey to Nick's stop and he got off, expecting to have beaten Judy to the building. As he rounded the corner, he saw nobody waiting for Judy, so he figured she had already been picked up. He walked up to the apartment, and when he walked inside, Judy was nowhere to be seen.

"Must already be gone," he said to himself. He plopped onto the couch and sat for a few minutes, thinking about all the things that had happened over the last few weeks, and what was still to come. His train didn't leave for another two hours, so he laid back and closed his eyes, the warmth of sleep taking him over.

When his eyes popped open, he grabbed his phone, seeing that his train left in 40 minutes. He got up and hurriedly grabbed everything he would need for the weekend. Whilst packing everything up, he called a Zuber so that it would be there when he had everything ready. He grabbed the tuxes, his dress blues, and his bag and ran down the stairs. He ran outside just as the Zuber was pulling up to the apartment. He threw his things in the car and he shut the door.

"Zootopia Central Station" Nick said hastily. The driver nodded and took off, sensing that Nick was in a hurry. They made it to the station in record time, leaving five minutes to spare before the train left. The car pulled up to the station and Nick quickly gathered all of his things. He tipped the driver generously and ran down the stairs rather than the escalator. Already possessing his ticket, Nick ran to the train and boarded, finding his seat and finally being able to rest. Panting heavily, Nick pulled out his phone, checking the time.

"Perfect timing," Nick whispered to himself, amidst heavy breaths. Hopefully, everything else went a little better this weekend.

And the train began moving towards Bunnyburrow.

* * *

 _A Few Days Later..._

"Judy! Where are you?!" Bonnie shouted. She was running faster than she had ever ran before. Judy was nowhere to be seen and she was supposed to be getting married in 20 minutes. Bonnie ran down endless corridors and looked in various rooms, trying to figure out where that bunny could have gone. Bonnie ran down another corridor, finding Judy's room. She opened the door and ran inside, seeing Judy sitting on her bed in her dress. "Judy, what are you doing?! You're supposed to be down at the vineyard!"

"Mom, I know. We have plenty of time," Judy said. She seemed a little off to her mother. Bonnie sat down next to Judy, putting her paw on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Judy?" Bonnie asked, concerned for her daughter.

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine," she said.

"No, you're not. Your ears are droopy. What's the matter?" Judy sighed.

"I don't know. I just feel weird. I might just be nervous, but part of me is saying something else."

"Judy, it's only natural to have these feelings. You should have seen me on my wedding day. I was a complete wreck, and I had your father to thank for that. I woke up that morning and everyone was asking me where he was. Nobody could find him and I thought that he had run off," Bonnie said with a little giggle. "I can promise you that everything is going to turn out ok."

"Still, you don't think this is a little bit weird. You know, because Nick is…"

"A fox?" Bonnie asked, and Judy responded with a nod of her head. "Sweetheart, we couldn't be any happier for you. Nick is a wonderful person and we know how much he loves you. I know it might be strange to some people, but there is nothing weird about love. You love him just like I love your father. Isn't that something to be proud of?" Judy smiled. For the very short two weeks she had been engaged to Nick, she thought over and over again that people thought she was an oddball. While that may actually be the case, it wasn't weird when she looked at the way she felt about Nick. She didn't want anyone else, and that was how it was supposed to be.

"Guess you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Now, how much time do we have?" Judy asked.

"About 17 minutes." Judy's eyes grew as big as saucers.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, we gotta go!" she said, holding up her dress so she wouldn't trip over it as she ran down the corridors. Bonnie ran out after her, nearly tripping in the process. They got into the truck and Bonnie floored it, pushing Judy back in her seat. They flew down the gravel road towards the vineyard, which was only a few miles from Judy's home. As they approached the building, they started to slow down. The wheels locked up and they slid to a halt. They both ran out of the truck amidst the cloud of dust and into the shelter, being careful not to get their dresses dirty.

Approaching the shelter, Roseline walked towards them with a furrowed brow.

"Where have you been?" Roseline asked, clearly not happy with her sister.

"I'm sorry. I just lost track of time," Judy lied.

"Well, we almost started without you," Roseline said.

* * *

The day of the wedding had turned out beautiful. Nice warm weather, very little wind, and the sun was shining brightly. The vineyard had an area designated for weddings, as it was a very popular place for them in the burrows. Nick was standing with only himself, wearing his dress blues and waiting for the ceremony to start.

He thought it had to be starting soon. Nick looked at the shelter behind all of the others sitting in the chairs, seeing Roseline running about trying to find something. What was she looking for? Nick pondered the thought in his head. He stood around for a few more minutes, eventually seeing a small blue truck screaming down the gravel road in the distance. It grew closer and closer by the second until it slid to a stop by the shelter.

Two rabbits got out of the truck, holding up their dresses as they ran into the shelter. Nick saw Roseline greet the two rabbits, but he couldn't make out their faces from so far away, but he was pretty sure that Judy was one of them based on the white dress.

He stood alone for only a few more moments as the music began playing. The crowd stood up as the members of the bridal party began processing in, first Finnick and Roseline, then Faxon and another one of Judy's sisters… he couldn't quite remember her name, though he thought it was Margaret.

The moment of truth. Next to arrive was Judy, her dress even more amazing than he'd anticipated. She was adamant that he didn't see her in it until this moment, even though he didn't believe in that superstitious stuff.

Being brought in by her father, Nick couldn't resist smiling like a child, nearly laughing out loud because of how amazed he was. Even though it was supposed to be a perfect wedding, in Judy's eyes, Nick stopped holding himself back and covered his mouth with his paws, barely stopping himself from crying. He simply couldn't believe that in a few short moments, she would be his, until death do they part.

Stu handed Judy off to Nick, and the old buck gave Nick a smile and a wink before walking back to his reserved seat in the front row.

Nick knew that he should have been paying attention to the ceremony, but it was a little bit tough because of the beautiful distraction standing in front of him. Plus, she wasn't so keen on doing her part to keep both of them focused.

"Hey, there, Slick," she whispered.

"Why do you do this to me?"

"What?"

"Make me wonder how I got with such a beautiful bunny like you?"

"Don't ask me. I'm the one who had to settle for you."

"Ouch. I don't know if I can go through with this wedding after that."

"Oh, hush. I think we're up next."

Right on cue, the presider asked for them to say their vows.

Nick didn't even know if he remembered much of the last bit of the ceremony. All he could see was Judy. He had never felt this way in his entire life. The feeling of hopelessly in love wasn't one that he was familiar with, but if he was ever certain of it, this was that moment.

Nick wasn't the biggest fan of weddings, but things were sure different when it was his. He never understood why people cried, but when he delivered his vows, he used all of his emotional strength to prevent the tears from falling.

Nick barely remembered exactly what he said for his vows, but all he knew was that they were the truest words he'd ever spoken. There was a reason he was hopelessly in love with Judy. He knew that it was stupid and that it shouldn't have worked, but yet somehow, it worked better than anything he knew. Nick didn't do too many things exceptionally well, but loving Judy was the best thing that he did. Nick didn't even have his vows planned. They simply came from the heart; the things that he knew he would do for her no matter what.

With the rest of the world tuned out, Nick didn't know how he managed to still be a part of the wedding. As if it were programed into his head, Nick spoke the two words that he longed to say for a very long time.

"I do."

Nick always enjoyed the moment leading up to a kiss, but this was perhaps the most interesting and wonderful experience of his life. The lean in, the way she smiled as her eyes closed when they were centimeters apart, the milliseconds before their lips touched, the feeling of warmth as their lips finally collided in bliss. It felt like their first kiss, but the intense emotion behind it was stronger than ever.

The feeling was ineffable. Passion beyond belief surged through his mind, body, and soul. Words would never do their first kiss as a married couple justice, and only one word came close.

Perfect.

They left the altar in harmony, knowing that neither of them would ever leave their side. She had him, and he had her. Two souls no more perfect for each other than what was possible. As they stood in the shelter, Nick finally came back to reality, his ears hearing the sounds of chatter for the first time is what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly they were barraged with hundreds of people congratulating them, which really brought Nick out of his state of pure bliss, something that was not welcome at all. He wanted to feel the way he felt during the ceremony for ever, but he knew that it would never feel the same. But looking to the bunny right beside him, he knew that he was never far away from that feeling.

AS they stood in the receiving line, they greeted the many attendees of the wedding, listening to their words of congratulations, thanking them all in the process. After nearly a half an hour of doing that, the line had come to an end, and the mammal at the very end was none other than Chief Bogo. Nick knew that he invited him and that he would be coming, but it still made him smile when he saw the buffalo.

"Glad you could make it, Chief," Nick said, offering a smile to Bogo. He looked down at the fox, his face still as straight as ever.

"Of course, Wilde. It was a beautiful ceremony. Now, as much as I would love to stay and enjoy the reception, I do need to be getting back. I left DelGato in charge while I was away and Lord knows what kind of city I'll be coming back to. Congratulations, you two. Enjoy the rest of the weekend."

Nick and Judy said their farewells to Chief Bogo and watched him walk towards his car, get in, and drive away. Seeing that there were no more people waiting to congratulate them, Nick and Judy walked paw in paw to a tractor that had a trailer attached to the back, modified to accommodate several mammals. Driven by Stu, the entire wedding party rode back to the Hopps house for the reception. Nick, Judy, Faxon, Finnick, Roseline, and Margaret enjoyed a quick chat while they waited for the slow tractor to deliver them to the reception. They talked about the coming evening and how wonderful it was going to be.

Arriving at Judy's childhood home, they all bailed from the modified trailer and walked into the backyard where Nick was amazed to see the setup.

An incredibly long chain of long tables was set up with mountains of food for every taste and dietary preference. An area specifically set aside for dancing was in the middle of the sea of round tables and chairs which were currently occupied by loads of wedding patrons.

"Wow, Carrots. I don't think I've seen anything like this before. They had this whole thing planned in only a few days?"

"Yeah, they sure know how to throw a party. It helps that they have about 200 extra pairs of paws to help them get it put together."

"I suppose."

Nick and Judy broke away from the rest of the wedding party and headed to the table for them. Sitting in the two middle seats, they took their first real break from everything. The day had come to be incredibly exhausting, and it wasn't even sundown yet. They were both just glad that it was finally time for them to be able to relax.

As they sat and rested their bodies, someone came over and gave them two plates filled with food, each one with everything that they wanted.

"How could they possibly have known what I was hungry for?" Nick asked. He looked at Judy who gave him a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm just as confused as you are."

"I guess we're the newly-weds, so we get extra special treatment."

Judy could get used to that.

Digging into their food, Nick and Judy were both thinking about the same thing. They looked over the hundreds of people that stayed for the reception. Everyone was so different. Predator, prey, large, small; you name it, they were there. Judy had been to hundreds of weddings in her lifetime, and not once did she see so much diversity at a Bunnyburrow wedding. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

Even amongst all of the differences, there was one thing that they all had in common: Everyone was here to have a good time. Right now, nobody cared about what kind of animal another was. All they cared about was that they had fun and enjoyed the night, celebrating the love between two mammals that embodied what it meant to look past exterior appearance and look deeper inside of them; see who they were as a person.

And on top of that all, no one had even thought to bring up Nick's cancer. Nick didn't think about it, and nor did Judy. It was incredible how easily something so looming could be forgotten about, even if only for a moment. Up until their engagement a short two weeks prior it was all they could think about. While back then she thought getting married would be a terrible idea, knowing what the future held for them, now that it had actually happened she was very glad that they did.

All of the bad things just seemed to disappear.

As Nick and Judy finished their food, Nick leaned back in his chair, rubbing his slightly bulging stomach. Letting out a groan of satisfaction, he turned his head to his wife.

"That was incredible. Since when could your parents cook that well?"

"Since pretty much forever. Did you not even taste the food when we were here a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but this was, like, mind-blowingly good. Which reminds me, why are you so terrible at cooking when your mother is like a master chef?"

Judy rolled her eyes at her husband, feeling the urge to slap him in the face. "I never wanted to learn how," Judy said honestly. "I usually helped Dad with things on the farm. Give me a broken tractor and I could probably fix it with nothing more than a couple good wrenches and some duct tape."

"Remind me again why I have ever let you cook."

"You don't. That doesn't mean I won't try, though."

Nick chuckled to himself. "I understand that you want to try, but I don't know if I really believe in Gazelle's message of 'try everything.' Seems a little bit sketchy to me."

"What, you think it really means to literally try everything? I don't think that's what she meant."

"You sure about that, Carrots? Because I'm pretty sure I saw on the news that there are a ton of arrests at her concerts for possession of illicit substances," Nick said, crossing his arms to make a rather strong point that even Clawhauser couldn't argue against. But it made both of them wonder something very important regarding those concerts.

 _Why won't Bogo assign me to a Gazelle concert?_

As Nick and Judy were about to continue their conversation, the DJ announced the first dance, the first one that they would share as a married couple. Nick quickly and smoothly slid out of his chair and offered a paw to his wife. She gratefully took it and he led her to the dance floor where they stood as close to each other as possible and spun slowly around the dance floor. Judy only made it to Nick's chest, so she had to look up into his eyes as they danced.

"So, this is what it's like to dance with the love of my life," Nick whispered.

Judy hmm'd and smiled at him. "Was it all worth it? Going through all of that trouble to get me to date you?"

Nick had wondered when she would ask that question. Of course, he didn't think they would be getting married so soon, but he was as certain on the answer as he could be.

"Absolutely."

Judy pressed her face into Nick's chest if only to be that much closer to him. It was all she wanted and all she could have hoped for.

Eventually, the music changed from a slow song to something a lot more fast-paced, which instantly got Judy moving to the beat. She kept looking at him with those beautiful violet eyes, drawing him closer and closer until he was dancing just as crazily as she was. The rest of the crowd came onto the dance floor and began having the greatest time of their lives.

For Nick, it probably would be.

* * *

Nick woke up in a land of confusion with a massive headache. Next to him was his wife, and it felt a bit weird to think that, but he knew it was right. She was still fast asleep, the bed sheets raising and lowering with her rapid breathing. He sat up in bed, trying to remember what all happened the night before. He remembered the first and second slow dances, and he vaguely remembered having a few to drink. Well, maybe it was more than a few.

He didn't want to think about how Judy was feeling, and he figured it was better to let her sleep for now. He got out of bed and walked over to his bag, pulling out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, perfect 'waking up with a hangover' clothes. Opening the door, he took a deep breath through his nose, and he caught a whiff of freshly brewed coffee.

 _Damn, that smells good..._ he thought. He followed the scent all the way to the kitchen, where Bonnie and Stu were sitting at the table.

"Well, good morning Mr. Drink-till-you-drop. Have a good night's rest?" Bonnie asked. "Help yourself to some coffee. It looks like you could use some."

"Thank's… I guess. What happened last night?" he asked, rubbing his forehead and hoping that they would tell him the truth.

"Oh, you just had a lot too much to drink. You could barely walk by the time the party was over at about one in the morning. I had to help you to bed!" Stu said with a chuckle. Nick slapped a paw over his eyes. He was really embarrassed now.

"But you weren't as bad as Judy, though. She was passed out by 11:30. We brought her in after she fell over on the dance floor. Then she came to about fifteen minutes later and was outside and back for more, but we cut her off." Nick couldn't help but start giggling like a little child, but once he saw the way Bonnie and Stu were looking at him, he quickly stopped.

"Oh, if you think that's funny, wait until you look at your phone."

Nick cringed and reluctantly pulled his phone out of his pocket, which showed he had a few messages from a strange number. He opened them up to see pictures of him and Roseline, getting a little too close for sober-Nick's comfort. He scrolled through the pictures until he got to one where Roseline had kissed Nick, right on the muzzle. His eyes in real life matched the ones on his face in the picture: absolute shock.

"Oh dear Lord…" Nick said, resting his face on a fanned out paw, covering half of his face, leaving space for his eyes to still see the picture. "Judy cannot see this…" Nick said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Nick. She already has. Judy pulled Rose off and slapped her right in the face, and so began the most hilarious fight between drunk rabbit sisters you'd ever see," Stu said, still reading his paper. Nick pulled up a message from Finnick, which had a video attached.

 _Please don't be what I think this is…_ Nick thought. He hesitantly tapped on the video and his worst nightmare appeared right in front of his eyes. Finnick had videoed the entire fight from the kiss, to the slap, and finally the end when Margaret pulled them apart.

"What… the…" Nick said, his voice showing signs of extreme discomfort. He heard footsteps from behind him, and he turned around to see Judy walking into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"What… the hell... happened? Why does my right paw hurt so much?" she slurred, apparently still feeling the effects of her drinking spree.

"I think I have the answer right here," Nick said, holding up his phone. Judy looked at the video, seeing Nick and Roseline taking pictures with each other, then she grabbed him and kissed him. That's when Judy came onto the screen and pulled Roseline away from Nick and slapped her so hard she fell to the ground, then Judy jumped on her and fists flew until Margaret broke them up. Nick gave Judy a judging glare.

"What? She deserved it. I'm a police officer, I live for justice."

"I'll find a way to get this spread around the ZPD, don't you worry," Nick threatened jokingly. It may have been just to mess with her, but he was actually serious about getting it spread to the ZPD. He figured Clawhauser would have a fun time doing that for him.

"Don't you dare, Nicholas Wilde, or so help me I will…" she said but was cut off by a wolf walking into the kitchen.

"What is up my dudes? Was that not the best time of your lives?" Faxon said.

"It would be if I could remember it," Nick said. He got a bright idea, but Judy would not like it one bit. "Hey buddy, come here, I want to show you something," Nick said with a sly grin. Judy jumped to her feet and grabbed Nick's phone before he could show him.

"I don't think so, Slick Nick. You are not going to be showing anyone that."

"C'mon, give the phone here. I don't want any trouble. Just set it down and we can take care of this in a civil manner." Judy reluctantly set the phone on the table and slid it over to Nick. He grabbed it and tapped away at the phone, and then Faxon's phone buzzed. He tapped on the screen and looked at it for a few moments before laughing uncontrollably.

"Holy smokes, Judy! You smacked the hell out of your sister!" he said in between laughing fits.

"Howlson, I swear to God if you spread that around the department I will bring upon you a thousand years of pain and suffering to you and your children and your children's children," she said.

"Don't worry, I'll keep this only for myself… and Ewetube."

"You better not!" Judy scolded.

"You have Finnick to thank for the video. Oh, and I have pictures from Roseline, but you don't get to see those." Judy glared at him with a look that could go through a brick wall.

"Nick. Delete those photos… now." she said sternly.

"Sorry, Judy, but these are memories. Plus I still need to bug your sister about this," Nick said. "Have some coffee you two. You both sound like you need it." Nick poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Judy and Faxon, who both took small sips of the dark, black liquid.

"Where's Finnick?" Judy asked.

"I think he's out in the pole barn still," Bonnie said. Judy nearly spat out her coffee.

"Why would you leave him out there? It's really cold outside!" she exclaimed.

"Nobody wanted to move him. Every time we tried to wake him up he woke up for a second, swiped at us and then went right back to sleep. But that was right as the party ended," Bonnie said. "It's not like we didn't try."

"I wouldn't worry too much. If I know him at all he would've been more comfortable out there than in a spare room," Nick said. "Well, I'm going to start packing up. Our train leaves in a few hours, and I want to have everything ready." Nick stood up, but as he took his first step, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, hitting his head hard, spilling his coffee and shattering the mug. He let out a yelp when his head hit the ground.

"Oh, Nick! What happened? Are you alright?" Judy said as she ran to him, helping him to his feet.

"I don't know. My legs just kinda gave out," Nick said, rubbing his head. He looked at Bonnie and Stu, who both stood up and looked at the scene. "I'm so sorry about the mug," Nick said, a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about that. We've got plenty more," Bonnie said. Judy had helped Nick up from the floor and was now making sure that he was able to walk. After he took a few steps on his own, Judy let him go and he continued walking down the hall, out of sight. He walked over to Judy's room, and walked in the door, finding his dress blues scattered all around the room. He gathered the articles of clothing up, being sure that he had every piece.

Nick grabbed a fresh set of clothes from his bag and walked down the hall to one of the many bathrooms in the house. Finding it empty, Nick walked in and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it. He stripped down and jumped into the shower, relief coming over him like a nice warm blanket when the hot, steamy water fell onto his body.

He stood in the cascade of water for a few minutes, soaking and letting it wash away the last remnants of last night. He lathered up all over himself, then once again let the water fall onto his body. He shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around himself and dried his russet fur as well as he could. He slid on his pants and tropical shirt, then wiped away the condensation from the mirror.

He brushed the fur on top of his head so that it wasn't all messy and then he caught a whiff of his own breath. Cringing at the smell of various alcoholic drinks and who-knows-what-else, he quickly ran back to the room, grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and began scrubbing in circular motions.

A couple minutes later, he spit out the foam and rinsed his mouth with water. It felt good to no longer feel like a ball of grease, and he was sure that everyone else would agree. He hung up the towel that lay on the floor and he picked up his morning clothes. He walked back down to the room and he walked in, threw his clothes in his bag and zipped it up, ready to go.

They still had a while before they had to leave, but it was always good to be prepared ahead of time. He didn't know what it was, but he felt exhausted. _Probably from last night…_ Nick thought, reassuring himself that it was nothing more than repercussions from the reception. Judy opened the door and grabbed a set of clothes, seemingly on her way to the shower.

"You got ready quickly," she said.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being prepared, it there?" he replied.

"I guess not. Oh, there's egg-bake out in the kitchen if you want any. And Finnick is gone apparently. We looked in the pole barn but there was nobody out there." Judy said.

"Huh, I'll give him a call really quick." Nick said. He tapped Finnick's number into his phone and put it up to his ear. It rang for a while, but he received no answer. Nick lowered the phone and shrugged. Judy walked out of the room and down the hall. He felt his stomach rumble and thought it best to get some food in him. He walked back to the kitchen, finding Faxon still out there, chomping down on a plate of egg-bake. Nick grabbed his own place and scooped up some of the egg-bake. He walked over to where Faxon was sitting and took a seat next to him.

"Feel any better?" Fax said.

"I'm much better now. I don't know what happened. I just fell," Nick replied.

"That's good. Now I've been meaning to talk to you about something. Chief told me that you resigned your post last week," he said. Judy's parents' ears moved up at the same time and they both looked over at Nick.

"What? You resigned?" Bonnie said. Nick exhaled deeply before continuing.

"Yeah. I did. Judy and I both thought it was for the best. We wouldn't be allowed to be partners after the wedding anyways, plus I don't really know how much longer I'll be able to work. Tomorrow I'm going to make it final, sign all the necessary papers, then I'll officially be a 'retired officer'." Nick said. "But don't worry. Judy has already been assigned a new partner."

"Well, Nick, all I can say is that the department isn't going to be the same without you. You were one hell of a cop." Fax said.

"Thank's dude. I've been thinking that it was a mistake, but for the long-run, it's the best option. I wish there was another way, but there isn't," Nick said. Bonnie and Stu both looked concerned.

"Well, I guess it's your choice. Whatever you think will be the best," Stu said.

"It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make, and Judy wasn't on board from the beginning either. She was pretty upset when she found out that I did it," Nick said. Faxon looked at his phone after it buzzed.

"Well buddy, it was great to be a part of this whole operation, but my friend is here to pick me up. I'm sure I'll see you around," Fax said. They both stood up and Nick took a firm grasp of his paw and shook it.

"I sure hope we can still stay in touch," Nick said.

"I'll make sure of it, see ya dude," Fax said, walking out the front door and into a car which had pulled up to the entrance. After Faxon left, there was only silence in the house. Breaking the silence was another rabbit walking into the kitchen, rubbing her head and the side of her face, which was quite swollen.

"Can I get an explanation as to why my face feels like it got hit by a bus?" Roseline said. Nick smiled as he held up his phone.

"Who gave you my number?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Nick motioned for her to come over. She walked over to Nick and he showed her the photos. He scrolled over to the one where she kissed him and she started freaking out.

"Oh my God, how did I let myself do that? I'm so sorry Nick!" she said. Nick chuckled at her concern.

"Don't worry. We were all pretty messed up last night." Nick said.

"Wait, but that still doesn't explain the extreme pain in my face," she said.

"Oh, but this will…" Nick said, eagerly awaiting her reaction to the video. Roseline watched the video and her eyes grew big when she saw herself kiss Nick, then her paws shot up to her face when the fight started.

"Geez… I might have deserved that. Just don't let this get to my husband…" she said, ears red with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, we all had way too much to drink last night. I'm not surprised something like that happened," Nick chuckled. Roseline grabbed the pot of coffee and poured herself a cup.

"Where's Judy?" she asked.

"She's in the shower. We're gonna get going in a few hours, so we've been packing up everything. Time to get back to real life, I guess." Judy walked into the kitchen and upon seeing her sister, she started laughing.

"What's so funny, sis?" Roseline said.

"Your face. That's what's funny!" Judy said. Roseline gave her a dirty look.

"Hey, you hit harder than you think. I saw the video from Nick's little friend."

"Speaking of Finnick, you don't happen to know where he is, do you?" Judy said.

"I'm pretty sure he left at like three in the morning. He had someone come pick him up that lives around here. I dunno, but the car had local plates." she said. Nick shrugged his shoulders.

"Typical Finnick," he said. A long silence followed Nick's words until Judy spoke.

"Do you guys want to move this out into the living room?" she asked. There was a unanimous nod from the group and everyone got up out of their seats and they followed Judy into the living room, where they all took seats in comfy recliners or in the large sofa. They sat and talked about the previous night, which caused Nick and Judy to lose track of time.

"Holy smokes. It's time for us to go," Judy said. Nick looked at his phone and confirmed that it was in fact time for them to leave for the train station. Nick and Judy both got up and quickly ran to their room to grab their things. They ran back to the living room, seeing Judy's parents and Roseline standing waiting to say their goodbyes. Judy went up to Roseline and gave her a hug and whispered something in her ear.

"He's mine. You can't have him," she said, teasing her sister. Roseline's ears turned red once more in embarrassment. Nick walked up to Roseline and also gave her a hug. Judy's parents were waiting at the door to take them to the train station.

"Ready to go, kiddos?" Stu said.

"I think so. I've got everything and so does Nick." Nick nodded and they all walked out the door.

At the train station, Nick and Judy only waited for a few minutes before the train showed up. Nick was eager to get back home, but he really enjoyed visiting Bunnyburrow. Nick let out a big yawn, suddenly feeling extra tired. It was probably a good thing that they were about to take a long train ride, that way he could sleep the whole way home.

Judy hugged both of her parents and kissed their cheeks. Nick walked forward, about to extend a paw to both of them, but before he could do that Bonnie went straight for a hug. It took Nick by surprise at first, but after only a split second he returned the hug. Stu extended his paw and Nick gave it a firm shake.

"Be sure to visit anytime," Bonnie said.

"I'll make sure we do," Nick replied. They both waved their goodbyes and they walked onto the train. And so began their journey back home.

* * *

The next morning was a strange one for Judy. She woke up on her own accord, not relying on Nick to wake her up. She took a shower like normal and brushed her fur like normal. She even brushed her teeth like normal, but she only made coffee for one. Nick was still in bed sleeping by the time she was ready to go to work.

Her entire commute was so quiet, and she listened intently to the sounds of the waking city. She heard the sounds of cars going by on the road, she vaguely heard conversations whilst on the subway, and she heard her own heartbeat walking up the stairs to the front door of the ZPD. She opened the door for herself and upon entering, was greeted by Clawhauser, who was sitting in his usual position.

"Judy! I'm sorry I couldn't make it this weekend. He only allowed a few to be gone on Saturday and I couldn't get the time off," he said.

"It's fine. I'm sure you would have had a lot of fun. I know my sister did," Judy said, the last part quite irritably.

"Oh, well… have a good rest of your day!" he said, a little confused at her attitude.

"Yep, you too!" Judy said as she hopped her way to the Bullpen, where she would begin the first of hopefully many shifts with Jessie.

* * *

Nick woke up with a start, breathing heavily and his heart was racing. He hadn't had a bad dream, more like an unpleasant dream, and he felt on edge because of it. He grabbed his phone and looked at the time, 10:33. He had slept a long time.

He could probably get used to being able to sleep in all the time because he felt like he had gotten the best sleep of his life. Nick hopped out of bed, feeling like he could do anything, but he quickly felt out of breath and fell back onto the bed. He felt light-headed and he thought it best to just take it easy since he had just woken up.

Nick stood up slowly and then walked into the bathroom, taking care of his morning routine. He exited the bathroom with only a towel on and he walked across the hallway into the bedroom, where he changed into ordinary civilian clothes. It felt strange to him that he was waking up and not getting ready to go to work. He looked at himself one more time in the mirror, a slight frown appearing on his muzzle. He left the apartment and went onward towards the ZPD.

Walking up to the front door of the ZPD for likely the last time, Nick opened the door, seeing lot's of familiar faces. Clawhauser was busy talking to some other mammals, so he didn't see Nick. He thought it was best to just walk up to Bogo's office and knock on the door. Nick walked up the stairs and down the hall, seeing Chief Bogo standing outside his office, speaking with another mammal. Bogo looked up and saw Nick, and he quickly dismissed the mammal, motioning for Nick to come into his office. Nick walked in the door and seated himself in one of the few chairs in front of the desk.

"Before you sign the papers, I need to get a formality out of the way." Bogo extended a hoof to Nick. "It's been a pleasure seeing you serve this city, Officer Wilde." Nick took the large hoof and gave it a firm shake.

"It has been an honor, sir."

"Now, getting down to business, there is only one thing I need from you, and that is your signature. Sign right on that line at the bottom, and then you are officially no longer employed with the ZPD." Bogo said, holding a pen out to Nick. He took the pen from Bogo and looked at the single piece of paper in front of him. At the bottom was a long thin line, which was where Nick was supposed to sign. Nick moved his paw over to that line and scribbled on that line.

"Well, Wilde. It truly was an honor to have you on the force," Bogo said. Nick still sat, looking at the paper.

"It was a pleasure while it lasted…" Nick said with a slight frown. "I guess I'll be leaving then." Nick stood up and slowly walked out of Bogo's office, shutting the door behind him. Bogo watched him as he walked out of the office. After he shut the door, Bogo sat down in his chair and put his hooves over his face and sighed.

Nick walked down the hallway slowly, keeping his head down. He really was no longer Officer Wilde. He was just Nick Wilde, unemployed. The thought ran through his head over and over again as he walked back down the stairs. Clawhauser noticed him as he walked by his desk.

Well, well, well. Officer Wilde decided to show up after all," he joked, not realizing the reason that Nick was there for. Nick didn't even look up. He just shook a finger at him.

"No, no. I'm just Nick now. I'm not an officer anymore." Clawhauser looked confused and watched Nick walk out the doors of the ZPD for the last time.

Nick opened the door to the apartment and walked inside, still looking at the ground. It was done. He really wasn't a police officer anymore. The thought kept racing through his head, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to think about anything else.

He sat down on the couch, and right as he laid back, he felt weird things move in his chest. A paw moved over his heart, feeling irregular beats and terrible thoughts came into his mind.

 _Please don't do this to me now..._ he thought as he reached for his phone. He typed in the numbers 9-1-1 into the phone and pressed send. The world around him grew fuzzy as he heard a voice on the other end.

"911, what's your emergency?" the female voice said. Nick stood up, and as he got to his feet, he said one raspy and quiet word.

"Help…"

And he fell to the ground.


	8. New Experience

**(A/N: Lucky for you guys, I was in fact able to get this chapter out before I left for vacation. Hopefully it's not too much longer before I get the next chapter out. Also, I'm sorry if you want a longer chapter, but this one is quite a bit shorter than the last one.. but still very good nonetheless. Anyways... Enjoy!)**

"Judy!" the young wolf said, waving for her to come and sit next to her. Jessie was sitting near the front of the room, usually where Nick would sit. Judy's face lit up and she hurried over to the seat and hopped up.

"Jessie! How's it going?" Judy asked, getting situated in her seat.

"It's been pretty good lately. I'm really glad you chose me for your new partner. I'm sure we'll work well together." she replied.

"Well it's pretty hard to not get along with me, and I can work with just about anyone. I mean, look at who my partner has been for the last two and a half years." She giggled. Judy thought about Nick and how he was at home all alone. She hoped that he was going to be alright. Judy found herself getting off track and knew that she had important business to take care of, so she brushed off the thoughts.

"Yeah. It really is a shame what's happened to him. The place really won't be the same without him." Judy nodded and stared at the table, not really having the emotional strength to continue the conversation in the direction it was heading. They sat next to each other in silence until a hippo walked up to the front of the room.

"Atten hut!" he said and all the officers in the room stood at attention. Chief Bogo walked into the room carrying a folder with a few papers in it. He slid on his glasses and took his place at the podium.

"Alright, everyone sit and shut it!" he boomed. The room quieted very quickly and everyone sat in their chairs. "We have a couple things on the docket before we get to assignments. I first want to extend my congratulations to Officer Hopps, or rather Officer Judy Wilde, whichever it is, on her marriage with Nick." he said. The whole room ignited in a fury of shouts and calls all directed towards Judy. She sat back further in her chair, trying to escape the situation as her ears turned red from embarrassment. Chief Bogo quieted down the room and continued. "Some of you may be wondering where Officer Wilde is. He unfortunately is no longer employed here, well, rather he will no longer be in a few hours."

The whole room became the polar opposite of how it was just a few seconds ago, falling completely silent. The reaction of her fellow officers that weren't aware of Nick's absence told Judy just how much he was appreciated at the ZPD. She couldn't help but let out a sad sigh, feeling a little bit under the weather that Nick was not going to be by her side for the first time in God knows how long. Bogo broke the short silence and continued his morning routine. "Finally, we have assignments. Howlson, Gilmore. Sahara Square patrol. Hopps… er… Wilde, or whatever it is, Jackson. Savannah Central speeding patrol. Judy was thankful to get a fairly easy assignment. They both got up and began their walk out to the patrol car. Still hearing Bogo give out assignments.

"Now is it still Hopps or are you going to be Judy Wilde?" Jessie asked. Judy pondered the question. She really hadn't given it much thought. They had announced her as Judy Wilde at the wedding, but she hadn't actually made the change yet, so she was still technically Judy Hopps.

"I don't know. I like the sound of Judy Hopps better than Judy Wilde, though I think I'd prefer Judy Wilde. I could do both last names, either Hopps-Wilde or Wilde-Hopps. Otherwise I think I'm technically still Judy Hopps." she replied.

"Chief seemed to have a little bit of an issue with the name today. He'll probably be getting bothered about that today." Jessie giggled. Judy grinned a little thinking about the other officers pestering Bogo about something, and then she thought about the punishment that would likely ensue from such treatment of the chief. Nick would always push Bogo's buttons, but never was he given any sort of punishment more severe than a good old-fashioned lecture. Some would get parking duty for a month for being a nuisance, but Nick always seemed to be an exception. Maybe Bogo liked Nick more than it appeared.

Judy pushed the thoughts to the side as she climbed into the passenger seat of the patrol car. She grabbed the door and firmly pulled it shut. Jessie took the driver's seat because someone had told her to always be the driver when working with Judy. Judy didn't know that her less than average driving skills had spread around the precinct, and Jessie could probably guess as to who let it slip. Turning on the car, she put it in gear and took off. Judy looked out the window of the car and watched the scenery of the morning life of the city pass by.

* * *

"Nick, watch my back!" Judy shouted. She was running towards a closer position to the target.

"I got you, Hopps." Nick said. He looked to either side of the large cargo crates, making sure that there was no one to try and hurt Judy as she ran to better cover. She continued creeping closer to the only exit of the store-house, hoping to cut off the other mammal that was inside. Nick quickly ran to her side, breathing heavily. Nick crouched down as low he could go, trying to remain hidden. Suddenly, the entire room went black, leaving only Judy and himself in his sights.

"Carrots, what's going on?" Nick said, hoping that she would have some sort of explanation. She did not respond.

"Carrots!" Nick yelled. Still she did not respond, as if she had gone completely deaf. This caused Nick to start to panic. He found himself slowly growing farther apart from Judy and he yelled her name, hoping that she would hear him. He reached for her, but he was too far away. He continued moving back, trying his best to get closer, but he could barely move. He stopped getting farther away and he found himself completely unable to move, frozen in time, but he could still comprehend things. He could still see Judy moving in the distance. Nick told his brain to move his arms, but it would not listen. Nick began to hyperventilate, breathing harder and harder and faster and faster, but then he could hardly breathe. He found movement in his arms and put one on his chest, feeling his slowly decreasing heart beat. Nick moved his arms up to his head and he put his paws around his ears, looking at the ground.

"What is going on!?" he yelled, sustaining the last word until he was out of breath. He panted heavily and looked back up to where Judy was. The light surrounding her slowly faded until there was nothing but darkness. Nick panicked and tried running to where her form used to be, but he still couldn't meve his legs. His breathing became shallow and light, and he fell over on the black ground, gasping for air. His body felt numb, and he no longer could move any part of his body. He could see his legs lying in front of him, and they slowly grew darker and darker until all he knew was blackness. One last breath came out of his lungs, and then he woke with a start.

* * *

"License and registration please." Jessie said as the window on the car rolled all the way down. The tiger in the car looked sheepishly at the wolf and handed her his driver's license and the vehicle registration. "I caught you going 77 in a 65 zone, sir. I'll show you the radar gun if you like." she said.

"No thanks. I know that I was speeding, ma'am." the tiger said. At least he didn't try to deny it. Jessie walked back to the cruiser with it's lights flashing and sat in the driver's seat. She entered information into the small laptop computer in the center of the vehicle quietly.

"No issue with this guy?" Judy asked.

"Nope, he seems a bit more chill than that weasel from earlier. Well, I mean a lot more chill." She replied. They had stopped a weasel earlier that day who had been going over 80 in a 65 zone, and when they came up to the window, he gave them nothing but attitude. Judy was tempted to get him with her taser, but she would definitely get written up for that, even if it would shut him up. Jessie finished entering information into the computer and walked back to the car with a ticket. Judy watched her hand the tiger his ticket, a hefty $140 fine. He remained calm throughout the entire ordeal and gave Jessie a handshake before he was told he was free to go. The car took off on the interstate and Jessie walked back to the cruiser. She opened the door to the car and sat back in her seat, threw on her seatbelt and turned the car on.

"That went well." Jessie said. Judy crossed her arms.

"Lucky. I can't remember the last time I had a nice and smooth traffic stop like that. I usually get the whack-o's and the ones who also happen to have several kilos of drugs in the back." Judy scoffed. Jessie found an opening in traffic and she took off. Judy turned off the lights and they drove down the interstate for a little ways before pulling into another spot to look out for speeders. The car was turned off once more and then they sat in silence. Judy held up the radar gun, making sure that nobody was more than a few miles over the speed limit. This was an especially good spot because the car was slightly hidden by an overpass and it was right after a corner. If you weren't paying much attention to the road ahead, you'd definitely go by without noticing the patrol car.

"Oh, that was a close one." Judy said, looking at the display on the radar gun, it reading 66 miles per hour. "I'd say that's too close. Always gotta have a little bit of leeway. Speedometers aren't always super accurate." she said. Jessie continued looking out the windshield of the car, not replying to Judy's little spiel. This was how it went for nearly an hour before Jessie spoke up again.

"How's Nick enjoying the freedom to do whatever he wants?" she asked.

"Oh, I really don't know. I'm sure he'll enjoy it, but he hasn't been overly excited or anything like that. I'll just be expecting the whole place to be nice and clean when I get home tonight." Judy chuckled. "He'll be home all day, and if the place is a mess when I get home there'll be hell to pay." she said. Jessie laughed a little bit at her threat.

"I can't imagine what you'd do, but I wouldn't want to be Nick, that's for sure." Jessie said.

"Oh you'd be surprised how lazy he can be. Before we moved in together, his apartment was the most horrific this I'd ever seen, and I grew up with tons of little siblings. They actually kept their rooms more orderly than he did." Judy said. Just as she was speaking, something came up on her radio, but she didn't understand what was said. She heard another officer respond to the call and then she continued her conversation. "I've gotten him to be a little better but he's still pretty messy." she finished.

"I'll be honest, I like to have my privacy. I don't really think I could live with someone else. I've just never wanted to have a roommate or anything like that." Jessie said.

"But when you live with the one you love the most, it's a little bit different," Judy said. She knew very well what it was like to have annoying roommates, even if they were separated by a wall, and maybe were named Bucky and Pronk. "You don't have a 'significant other' do you Jessie?" Judy asked. She liked where this conversation was going. It probably meant that they were getting along just fine.

"No I don't, nor do I plan on getting a boyfriend any time soon. One thing that I always said I would do, was that I would get a good job, which I have now, and then when I've gotten all my fun stuff and things of that sort, then I would try and start a family. That's what my dad did. He bought his dream car early in life, and after I was born he refused to get rid of it. Mom didn't like it, but it was his car, so she really had no choice. Mom always said that she had one child, but my dad had two, me and his car." Jessie said.

"I never understood how some mammals like cars so much. I'm just fine with walking and taking the subway to work every day."

"Oh, but my dad doesn't go to work like most mammals. He's made his money with the restaurants. He owns 14 different fast food places around the city, so he's set for life. When I was deciding where I would go to college, he told me that I could do whatever I wanted, and he would pay for it all. When I told him that I wanted to be in the military, he was shocked, but he supported me all the way. Mom was a bit different though. She hated the idea of me being in danger all the time. I did two tours overseas and then that brought me here. I was nearly killed my last tour, so I was done, but I still wanted that sense of duty that I loved so much from the military, so I became a police officer, and the rest is history. You wouldn't believe how much is similar between being a police officer and being military." she said.

"Yeah, my parents hated my choice to become a police officer. They always tried to change my mind when I was really little, but as I got older, they started supporting me a bit more. It had been my dream since I was about 7 years old, and I just told myself that I would do whatever it took to fulfil that dream I had. You should have seen their faces when they found out that I had been at the top of my class at the academy." Judy said.

"Oh, I can about imagine." Jessie replied. Judy focussed the radar gun on a car, then looked at the display, it indicating 74 miles per hour. Judy smiled and flipped on the lights and sirens. Jessie tore out of the spot and floored it, ringing through the gears like a professional.

"Which one is it?" Jessie demanded.

"That black sedan up ahead. Right there!" Judy pointed. They came in right behind the car and then it began slowing down until they were stopped on the side of the interstate, cars whizzing by them. "I'll take this one." Judy said as she got out of the car.

* * *

Sirens wailed through the otherwise quiet residential area. The police cruiser was leading the ambulance through the narrow streets and behind them was one of the Zootopia Fire Department's trucks, barely able to make the tight turns through the residential streets. Lights flashed on all of the vehicles, and they came to a stop in front of a fairly new apartment building. Two fire fighters climbed out of the truck and ran up the stairs to the third floor. Following them upstairs was a paramedic and a ZPD officer. They tried to open the door to the door, but it was locked. One of the firefighters took a crowbar to the door and busted the lock, letting it freely move. The rushed in, finding a fox on the floor of the living room, phone in paw. The paramedic rushed over to the fox's body and grabbed his wrist, feeling for a pulse.

"He's still alive, but barely. Get me a stretcher. We need to get him to the hospital ASAP!" the ram said. The ZPD officer ran over to the fox and helped the ram roll him over. When they rolled him over, the officer's eyes grew wide as he recognised who it was. He spoke into his radio.

"Clawhauser, this is Fangmeyer. I'm on that call. Yeah. It's Nick." he said. Silence was on the other end of the radio. "Clawhauser? You still there?" Fangmeyer said. He still heard nothing from the other end of the radio.

"Wait, you know this guy?" the ram said.

"Yeah, it's Nick Wilde. The first fox officer in the city's history… and a fuckin' newly-wed." he said, hardly able to comprehend the situation. Just then, the stretcher arrived with the other paramedic, who was also a ram. They lifted Nick onto the stretcher and quickly brought him down the stairs and into the back of the ambulance. Fangmeyer walked down the stairs slowly, trying to figure out what to do. The tiger had dealt with plenty of complicated calls in his day, but never had he ever wanted to see something like this. He sat down on the stairs to the apartment, and put his paws over his face. Officer Grizzoli walked over to Fangmeyer and sat down next to him, putting his large paw on his shoulder.

"We have to tell Judy." Fangmeyer said. A deep voice sounded from Fangmeyer radio.

"Fangmeyer, what's the situation?" Bogo said.

"It's Nick. He's down. They just took him away, on a stretcher." he replied. Once again, only silence came from the other end.

* * *

"Wow. I cannot believe my luck today!" Judy said while getting into the car, very frustrated. "I told him how fast he was going and he didn't believe me. He asked to see the radar gun, and I showed it to him. He still said that this whole traffic stop was against the law and that I was going to get fired because I unlawfully stopped him." Judy said, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Hmm, it seems as though I should have taken that one, now doesn't it?" Jessie replied sarcastically.

"I don't want to hear it, Jessie. I've gotten nothing but attitude from every stop I've taken today. It doesn't make sense to me! And who knows, he probably would have been nice to you, knowing my luck." she said, still a lot of frustration in her voice.

"Oh, just calm down a bit, Judy. If you want, I'll take the rest of the stops for today. How does that sound?" Jessie said.

"Alright, but I get to drive, then." Judy said.

"Fine." Jessie replied, not really wanting to let Judy drive, but she didn't want to protest any more. They both hopped out of the car and switched places. Judy adjusted her seat and mirrors, then she turned on the car. Right before she took off, her phone began ringing. She grabbed it from it's place in the center console of the vehicle and looked at the screen, not recognising the number. She tapped the button on the screen to answer the call and put the phone up to her ear.

"This is Judy." she said. The voice on the other end did not seem happy to be calling her.

"Judy, this is Jeffrey Davis from Central Zootopia Hospital. Your husband Nick Wilde has been taken here, and he's not doing very well. You may want to get over here as quickly as possible… he's in critical condition." he said. Judy's eyes grew wide and her ears fell back. Tears instantly began to form in her eyes and she struggled to keep them from falling.

"Ok, thank you. I'll be there as soon as I can." she said, then she ended the call.

"What was that?" Jessie asked, a little bit concerned for Judy.

"My worst nightmare. We need to go to the hospital." Judy said. She put the car in first and floored it, pushing Jessie back in her seat. Judy flipped on her lights and sirens as she continued gaining speed. The other cars on the freeway moved out of her way and she kept on the accelerator, going way past the legal speed limit. Jessie was hoping that this wasn't how Judy normally drove. They few by every other car on the road and even passed the black sedan they pulled over earlier. Tears fell from her eyes as she gripped the steering wheel and maintained full throttle, determined to get to the hospital before it was too late.

Judy few into the large parking lot of the hospital and slid to a halt, tossing Jessie forward in her seat, nearly giving her whiplash.

"Jessie, you can take the car back to the station, and tell Bogo what's going on. I need to go." she said as she ran into the large medical complex. Jessie walked around to the driver's side of the car and got in. She looked to the building and let out a little sigh. 'Please Lord, watch over Nick.' she thought to herself. Then she drove away from the hospital.

Inside, Judy ran for the front desk, but she was stopped by a tiger in uniform before she could get there.

"Judy, thank God you're here." Fangmeyer said.

"Where's Nick?" she asked, hoping for the best.

"You can't see him right now. They're trying to make sure he's stable before anyone can see him, but you can wait out here for now." Fangmeyer said.

"No! I need to see him. He needs me right now!" Judy screamed. She tried to run past Fangmeyer, but he quickly stopped her.

"Judy, I'm afraid they won't let anyone except the doctors in there right now. You just need to wait out here until they clear him for visitors." Fangmeyer said, hoping that Judy would calm down a bit. She knew that it was pointless to fight, so she fell to the ground and started crying heavily.

"Nick! Why did this have to happen to you!" she screamed. She was causing a scene, so Fangmeyer helped her up.

"C'mon, Judy, please sit in a chair. I don't want to have to pick you up. Let's get up." he said. She stood up, weak in the legs and slowly walked over to a chair, with Fangmeyer holding her paw as she walked. He helped her sit in the chair and then sat next to her, putting his large paw on her shoulder.

"Do you want any water?" he asked. Judy silently nodded while she looked into her lap. Fangmeyer got up and grabbed a small bottle of water from the mini-fridge in the waiting room. He opened it up and handed it to Judy, who accepted it and took a drink of the cold liquid. She let out a little sigh of relief and twisted the cap back on the bottle. Every once in awhile, Fangmeyer would hear a sob and a sniff from Judy, but other than that, she was silent. He really felt bad for her. He personally hadn't known Nick all that well, but he wasn't a complete stranger.

"Why are you here?" Judy asked Fangmeyer.

"I took the call. I went over to the apartment with the paramedics and the fire department. The 911 call was very obscure, so they used GPS to find out where the call came from, then sent units over to find out what had happened. Nick still had his phone in his paw when we got there." he replied. Judy continued looking at the ground, a few tears falling from her eyes and onto the carpet. She didn't know what to expect after this. She was unsure how much longer he would be around, if he even lasted for today.

"Thank you." she said quietly, looking up at Fangmeyer.

"For what?" he said.

"For going and getting him. If it wasn't for you, he'd probably be dead right now."

"I don't know about that. Nick's much stronger than that, and I wasn't alone. I had a lot of help from the paramedics and the ZFD."

"But you still helped, and I can't thank you enough for it." Judy said very genuinely. Fangmeyer gave Judy a reassuring smile.

"It's what we do, Judy. We live to serve; trust, integrity, bravery. It's in the blood of every officer, a desire to help others in need, a thirst really. We need it to survive, otherwise, we end up going crazy because we haven't done our part. I know that I wouldn't want to be doing anything other than this, because just like you, I want to make the world a better place. I can assure you, Nick is going to make it through this." he said. Judy started crying all over again.

"You sound like Nick now." she giggled through her sobs.

"I would hope so. Those are pretty much his exact words. I still remember the day he made that speech." Judy thought back in her memories. She too, remembered that day. It was over two years ago, and Nick was going to speak when they officially named the new officers from the academy, just as she had done for him. He walked up to the podium looking all professional, but Judy thought he was going to have it be some sort of joke, because Nick was never one hundred percent serious, but his speech caused tears in the eyes of many of the officers there. She cherished that day. It told her that Nick truly was a changed mammal, that he really did want to make the world a better place. She came back from her memory when a jackal from the front desk came out and spoke.

"Judy, you can go up and see Nick now. He's open for visitors." the jackal said. Judy looked up at Fangmeyer and he nodded, knowing that she wanted him to go with her. She stood up and stumbled a bit, still a little weak at the legs from emotion. Fangmeyer helped steady her and they walked over to the elevator. He pushed the button and it opened right up. They walked in the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator moved up slowly, but gained a little bit of speed before slowing down to a stop right at the third floor. The door slid open and they both walked out of the elevator. Judy followed Fangmeyer through the corridor, then they turned the corner, and walked down to the end of another corridor. Standing by the door to Nick's room was a tall deer in a white coat with a surgical mask around his neck. Judy and Fangmeyer approached the deer and he introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Dr. James Venetti. You must be Judy." he said.

"Yes that's me," Judy said with no intention of continuing the small-talk. "Please tell me Nick is alright."

"I assure you that he is ok for now. He is stable for the moment, but we are going to have to keep him here for a few days just in case he becomes critical again. I know that this is hard to hear, but he actually flat-lined twice on the way here, so he is very lucky to be alive right now." Judy shuddered at his words. That was one of the worst things that she could have heard. "I'm actually quite impressed, he's quite the fighter." Dr. Venetti said.

"But can I see him?" Judy asked. That was really all that she cared about. She just wanted to see Nick.

"Ah, yes. You can go in and see him." the deer said as he motioned to the door. Judy swallowed as she placed her paw on the door and slowly pushed it open.

* * *

 **(A/N: What do you think? Was it good, because I sure hope it was. Once again, I was up late last night getting it finished up, and I was up early this morning to get it uploaded before I left. If you thought it was great, be sure to leave me a review telling me why you thought it was great. Also don't forget to favorite and follow (We've just hit 50 followers which is super awesome!). Also let me know what you think of the cover art. I was working on that for probably 5 hours yesterday, so I've been busy. Hopefully it's good enough.**

 **I also hope that I'm not moving this too fast, but if I can stick to my agenda, this should last a lot longer, but we are nearing the end of the story! :(**

 **Anyways, have a Happy New Year everyone and I'll be speaking with you sometime in the future! -Ande883)  
**


	9. Limbo

**(A/N: Hello there... welcome to Chapter 9. This is a much shorter chapter, but nonetheless it is still very good... I hope. I won't keep you waiting any longer, so please enjoy!)**

Darkness…

That was all that surrounded him. His body felt as light as a feather, like he was weightless. 'What the hell is going on?' Nick thought to himself. Nothing but blackness all around him. Nick walked through the blackness and looked around, still trying to comprehend the situation he was in. 'Wait, what's that?' he thought, his eyes locking in on something other than darkness. Off in the distance, Nick could vaguely see a figure, despite it being incredibly blurry. He began to walk towards the figure. It slowly became larger and less distorted as he continued walking. He started a light jog, then he broke into a dead sprint. Nick slid to a halt in front of the figure, now as clear as day.

"It can't be…" he said. Right in front of him was… himself. Nick was standing in front of himself. The thought of what kind of dream this could be raced through his mind. He got an idea. He knew how to wake one's self up from a dream, and so he took his right paw and slapped himself right in the face, hoping that it would wake him up from this truly bizarre dream. Nothing. He was still standing in the same place and right in front of him was still himself, lying face down on the pitch black ground with a phone in his paw.

"Ok, maybe I need more pain than that." Nick said out loud. He figured he could talk to himself, seeing that there was nobody else around, and since this was clearly a dream, he could do whatever he wanted. Nick took his paw and clawed at his arm, ripping off skin, fur, and flesh from his forearm. The pain stung like hell and he yelped in agony. Blood began to flow from the self-inflicted wound, and it dripped to the pitch black ground like water from a leaky tap. The realization hit Nick like a truck.

"This is real life…" he said to himself. But it couldn't possibly be. He was clearly himself, yet he appeared to be laying face down right in front of him. Or was he himself? He pondered the thought of him thinking that he was himself, but in reality, he was just some sort of anonymous bystander who happened to be in this strange dream of his. But the blood felt warm on his right paw, the pain was excruciating, and the sound of the blood hitting the ground was all too real. This was in fact real life. Nick moved closer to his unconscious self and knelt down beside him. Nick poked at the body that lay before him, but his paw went right through.

"Ok… this is too freaky." he said. His mind was clouded and unclear, and he wasn't sure what happened to bring him into this state. What was it called again? He had heard a name for this strange phenomenon.

"Limbo…" he said out loud, the word echoing in the seemingly infinite space of eternal darkness. He pondered what could have brought him to this insane out of body experience. He thought for what seemed like an eternity, but then the memories came back to him in a flood of detail. The signing of the paper. The walk back home from the station. The walk up the stairs to his apartment. When he sat down and felt his heart tell him it was over. His last word.

All of it came back to him explicitly and vividly, as if he was watching it happen all over again in his mind. Was this what it was like to be unconscious? He had never felt this before, and yet he'd been knocked out cold by several mammals on several occasions. Was he in a coma? That could be it, but something didn't feel right. Was he dead? There was no way, but he didn't think the possibility was too farfetched. Suddenly, the figure lying on the ground disappeared from his sight and once again all that was around him was darkness. He felt the urge to walk in a certain direction, but his body walked the opposite way. On one end, he felt that there was something waiting for him, no, rather someone was waiting for him. But in the other end, it was nice and warm and it was relaxing. He continued walking towards the warmth and relaxation, feeling the calm blue ocean take over his being.

" _We're losing him! Get the defibrillator!"_

Nick snapped to his senses. Had he just heard voices? Nick looked around, puzzled. He certainly couldn't see any other mammals around. As far as he knew, it was just him. Nick thought that he heard the voices from behind him, so he turned around and continued walking, feeling it become harder and harder to move his legs with each step.

" _Ok… he's stable now. Keep careful watch on him until we get back."_

There it was again. He looked around once more, still not seeing any other mammals. As he looked around, Nick found the blackness clearing up, revealing a very familiar scene. He was under the bridge, the very same bridge where he was that fateful day when Judy came back to find him. He was brought back to that moment in his head. He was looking away from her the whole time she apologized. When he heard those broken, sob filled words being spoken, it took every ounce of strength in his body to not start crying with her. He was now standing right in the middle of the underside of the bridge. On his left was a bright white light. On his right was the small field of grass and in the distance, were a few abandoned buildings with shattered glass panes littered over the sides. He felt a strong urge to move towards the light. It was comforting. It spoke to him. It said that everything was going to be alright if he just took the few steps separating the two. The right side said nothing, but he could hear voices coming from that side, however, they were not directed at him.

Nick took his first fateful step towards the left, and he heard voices coming from the right. He did not understand what they said, so he disregarded them and took his second step towards the left. This time, however, the voices grew much louder. They were seemingly under a lot of stress. He looked back at the right side of the bridge, clearly hearing the voices.

" _Goddamnit! Not again! Alright, turn it up some more. Clear!"_

Nick felt a jolt on his chest, and he stopped moving for just a second. His third step towards the light made the voices sound as though they were right next to him.

" _We've gotta go higher! C'mon, Nick. You can't die now! Clear!"_

Another jolt stung his chest, this time, nearly knocking him onto the ground. It moved him back towards the right side of the bridge. Nick knew what he had to do. Despite the struggle, he took his first step to the right side of the bridge. This time, nothing zapped his chest, and he was thankful for that. He took another step, but this step was much more difficult than the last. He took a third step, this one being the hardest out of them all. He tried for a fourth step, but as he lifted his leg, it was brought instantly back to the ground and he could barely move it. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.' Nick thought to himself. Using nearly all his strength, he took a fourth step to the right. Just a couple more and he would be there.

" _Ok… he's stable"_

Nick heard the quiet voice coming from the right. He had blocked out the left side entirely, because he knew that if he walked to the left, he had given up. It would mean that he had given up on his mother, on Judy, on their relationship, on everybody that he cared about. Dedicating all the strength that he had, Nick took a fifth step to the right side of the bridge. Just one more, and he would be there. Nick felt an incredible force pushing down on his entire body, and another force pushing him back to the light. Nick gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes as he strained for that final step and tears flowed from his eyes because of the struggle. His foot came off the ground and moved forward. As it hit the ground, all forces ceased from his body and he was welcomed by the ease of walking normally, or rather the feeling of flying through the air as he fell forward. He got to his feet, and he blinked a long blink, feeling relieved that the strain was over. When he opened his eyes again, everything was black once more.

"Not again…" Nick said with disgust. He looked around in complete shock and awe, dumbfounded that his effort to go the way he did brought him back to the darkness. Nick walked around, trying to see if he could find something. Nothing. There was really only blackness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue light quickly followed by a red light, and then another blue light. He turned to the flashing lights, seeing a police car speeding down the freeway at an incredible rate. The image was like a hologram coming out of nowhere. It was just… there. It exited the freeway and continued down the city streets, each and every other driver making way for the car. It pulled into a large parking lot and came to a stop in front of a very large building.

Just as the door to the car opened, the image disappeared from Nick's view. He ran up to where he saw the vision, but there was nothing but empty space. He fell to the ground and sat with a paw over his head, trying to figure out what was going on. His heart rate increased and his breathing became fast. He was starting to panic. He had to get out of this place. Nick got to his feet and began running. He didn't know where he was going, or how far he had run, but all he knew was that he needed to get out. Nick came to a stop, his lungs burning and he was panting. He leaned over, trying to catch his breath.

"Why is this happening to me?" Nick said in between breaths. His confusion and uncertainty was getting the better of him. His eyes closed and a few tears fell to the ground. His sobs echoed through the large space.

" _You have to keep going. You have a better place to be."_ a strange voice said. It sounded remarkably like his own, almost identical.

"You don't even know who I am…" Nick replied. Now he thought he was going completely crazy. He was talking to voices that didn't exist.

" _But I do exist. I am in your head, but I know more about you than you know about yourself."_ the voice said. It must be in his head, because it could seemingly read his thoughts.

"If you know so much about me, then tell me what's going on." Nick spat.

" _Just like you, I do not know what is going on, but I can tell you how to escape."_ the voice replied.

"Well then. Tell me how to get out of this horrible place." Nick said. He doubted that this voice could tell him how to get out.

" _You need to know what you live for. You have forgotten that. You don't remember what's really important."_ the voice said. The reply took Nick by surprise.

"What do you mean? I know what I'm living for. I'm living for Judy, for the ones that I love. I live for the city that I protect. They are all very important to me." Nick said. It was a while before the voice spoke again.

" _You think that is what you live for, but what have you done for them lately? Or rather, what have they done for you?"_ it said. Nick did not like the way this conversation was going.

"I married the one that I love, even though I'm going to die. Judy would have said no if she didn't love me. What else do you want?"

" _You have forgotten about yourself. What have you done for yourself? Getting married? That was the worst mistake of your life. You should have left her. She doesn't love you. She wishes that you would hurry up and die…"_ the voice said. Nick became angry at the voice's words. This voice didn't know anything about him.

"You're lying. Judy does love me. She would do anything for me. She would never leave my side." Nick replied.

" _But where is she now, Nick? It appears to me that you are all alone."_ the voice said. He grew furious at the voice. It was trying to discourage him, but he wouldn't let it get to him. He had lived on that motto for years. He wasn't just going to break that habit now. He could feel a force appear beside him.

"Judy is here. I can tell." Nick said. He felt her presence next to him. It was like a gravity pulling him towards his right. She was by his side, even though he couldn't see her.

" _Judy isn't here. You are going to die in this hospital bed, all alone. Your worst fear will become a reality. You… are… alone!"_ the voice exclaimed.

"No! I'm not alone! Judy _is_ here. She is going to be by my side until the end." he yelled.

" _The end had already come for you. She is gone. You are alone."_ the voice said. Tears formed in Nick's eyes. The voice seemed to be winning. " _You have to keep going. Keep going to the light. It is better, safer, and there is no pain, suffering, or sadness."_ the voice said. Off in the distance, a bright light appeared behind Nick. He didn't even look back at it. He would not let the voice tear him apart.

"No. I won't let you influence what I want. I will _not_ go to the light. I know what it is, and I don't want it. There are others that need me. I'll be going now."

" _You are not going to like the hell that you live in if you walk that way. Do not say that I did not warn you!"_ the voice said. Nick didn't look back and he disregarded the voice. Nick walked in the opposite direction of the light, still refusing to look back. The light dissipated from behind him, and the voice stopped speaking. He had won. Suddenly, he heard the voice again. Wait, this was a different voice. It wasn't harsh, but it was calming.

" _Nick… you have to wake up."_ the voice said. This voice was feminine, soothing, and… maternal. The voice calmed his nerves, which had been put on edge from the previous voice.

"What do I do? How do I do it?" Nick said, almost like he was pleading.

" _You need to wake up…"_ the voice replied.

"But how? I can't." Nick said, the panic in his voice becoming evident.

" _Wake up."_ the voice said. Nick closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He looked up into the air, and relaxed his entire body.

"I'm ready to face my fears…"

* * *

The feeling of weightlessness dissipated from his body and he felt his form lying in a bed. The memories of his limbo faded quickly from his mind. Lights shined on his face, but he kept his eyes closed. He could hear steps in the distance from a hooved mammal. He heard the subtle clicks of typing on a keyboard. There was a quiet beep from behind him and a whirring of other machinery. He adjusted his head slightly and he let out a tiny yawn, keeping his muzzle closed. The sound of footsteps stopped suddenly, but then they continued quicker than before. The sound of a door opening came to his ears, and then it closed.

Nick opened one eye, being blinded by the bright lights of the room he was in. He moved his paws up to his eyes and rubbed them, then blinked many times in rapid succession. His vision was blurry, but soon it became clear, revealing his surroundings. He was laying in a hospital bed, thin blankets covering his body. There was a window to his left, creating a bright light that flooded the room in a soothing white despite the curtains that covered the window. To his right were three empty chairs, each of them situated so that they were all facing him. In the back of the room, was a counter with a laptop computer sitting near a small sink.

Machinery was all around his bed, including an IV drip. The drip was connected to his left arm, which was held in place by tape. On his right wrist was a small plastic band, which had very small writing in it that he couldn't read. Nick tried to sit up in his bed, but he found it very difficult to move. Nick heard a tapping on the other end of the window. It must have been raining. He didn't know what day it was, and he didn't know what time it was either. His phone was on a small tray to his left, and he reached for it, struggling to move his arm. His paw grasped the small device and his thumb tapped the power button. Somehow, the phone was almost fully charged. The date on the phone said December 4th, 2019. Had he really been asleep for two days?

He felt a grumble in his abdomen. He thought about food, and he realised that he was really hungry, and he didn't know when the last time he had solid food was. There was a knocking on the door to the room. The door slowly swung open and a deer's head popped in. Nick looked at the slender deer with a confused look.

"Well, well, well. Look who's awake. You probably don't know who I am, but let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. James Venetti, and I've been taking care of you for the last two days." he said. Nick didn't know what to think.

"What happened to me?" he asked, his voice incredibly hoarse and quiet.

"Let me tell you, you are one lucky guy. You are strong, though. You were technically dead twice on the way here. You collapsed in your apartment and you were rushed to the hospital. Then you flatlined twice while in the ambulance. Your wife has been here every day since then as much as she could be. She actually just left with your mother and some big cheetah who seemed really excited to see you, despite your condition at the time." Dr. Venetti said. Nick figured that Judy would always be here, but Clawhauser? He decided not to protest. Clawhauser was really a nice guy, but he could be a bit overbearing at times.

"How much longer am I going to be here?" Nick said, his voice still quiet and hard to understand.

"Well, as I just told Judy, we'll have to see how you do. You may be in here for a while, but there is a chance that you can go home tomorrow… although you may not like the reasoning." Dr. Venetti said. Nick's ears fell back and his eyes focused on the deer in front of him. Dr. Venetti took a seat in one of the chairs and scooted it closer to Nick and he leaned in.

"Please, doc. I need to know. Just tell me. I can handle it." Nick said. He figured he knew what was coming next.

"Nick, you really don't have much time left. I'm sure you feel weak, and I can tell you are having issues speaking. It could partly be from lack of use, but it is most likely from you being incredibly weak. You definitely can't walk right now, and you likely won't walk again, unless you recover some of your lost strength. You will be allowed to go home so that you don't spend your last moments in this room. Judy specifically requested that we do it that way. And I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not going to give you any more than two weeks." Nick's eyes became glassy and tear filled. He really only had two weeks? And that was probably an overestimate by the sound of things. Nick did his best to get the words out.

"I understand… I would rather have it that way as well." he said. His voice was shaky and quiet, which made it nearly impossible to understand.

"I'm happy to hear that. But like I said, I really am sorry. It's one of the hardest things that I have to do… deliver horrible news to patients. I always have had a hard time doing it, so when I say that I'm sorry, I truly mean it." Dr. Venetti said. Tears grew large enough in his eyes to fall and dampen the fur underneath his eyes.

"Thank you…" Nick tried to say, but the words came out incomprehensible. Dr. Venetti understood what he wanted to say, and nodded in affirmation.

"I'll be going now. I have a few other things to do." he said. The deer got up from the chair and pushed it back to where it was. He walked over to the door and gave Nick a compassionate smile before exiting the room. Outside Nick's room, Dr. Venetti let out a sigh of relief that he had made it through probably his most difficult task in a long time. From the other side of the door, Dr. Venetti could hear sobs and yelps of sorrow, which nearly caused tears to fall from his own eyes.

"Dr. Venetti, are you alright?" a young panther nurse asked as she walked by the room. There was a look of concern in her eyes as she looked at the doctor.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for asking." he lied. The panther continued walking down the corridor, giving him a sympathetic look as she walked away. Dr. Venetti composed himself and he walked away from the sorrow and agony that filled Nick's room.

* * *

 **(A/N: Things are 'bout to get real. As always, let me know what you thought of the chapter or tell me any suggestions you have with a review. And if you haven't already, follow and favorite the story. Also, if there is any confusion regarding the direction the story is taking, do not be afraid to contact me via PM. I don't bite.**

 **Once again, I'm sorry that this was a shorter chapter, but it really wouldn't work out any other way. Hopefully I can get some longer ones out once I get back home.**

 **I hope everyone had a Happy New Year. Welcome 2017! I've got big plans for this year, so stay tuned. Also, expect more frequent updates to the story from now on. I don't think I can handle writing another 12K+ word chapter. From now on, it will most likely be shorter chapters, but more frequent updates.**

 **Anyways, that's all from me folks. *Drops mic* -Ande883)**


	10. What the Future Holds

**(A/N: WooHoo! another 10,000+ chapter! I hope you're ready for it! Am I preventing you from reading? Sorry, I'll just get out of your way, then. Please enjoy! ;)**

Judy pushed open the door to Nick's hospital room, a slight squeak emanating from the hinges that had seen many uses. As soon as the door had opened slightly, the smell of sterility hit Judy's nose. The pungent odor that could only be associated with hospitals stung her nostrils and incited a slight grimace from her. She had always disliked hospitals, though she never said she hated them. She knew that they were good places, dedicated to helping those in need and saving lives, but she had always felt depressed when she entered one because there was usually a pretty bad reason that she was there.

This time was no exception.

The door swung open fully, revealing a bed, a lot of complicated medical equipment, which included an IV drip that was connected to the fox that lay in the bed. Several other cords and wires hung from the bed, making sure that the doctor always knew what was going on with Nick's vitals. There was also a screen that displayed Nick's heart rate. A subtle beep came from the equipment by the bed, seemingly echoing in the silence that engulfed the room. Judy looked at the bed, seeing the shell of the fox that she once knew. He lay in the bed, the slight rising and falling of his breathing evident in the sheets. Judy slowly approached the bed, dreading what she may see.

It was just as bad as she thought. His face was pale, and he definitely looked like he was on his last leg. His breathing was shallow and quick, and he did not move an inch, except for the rising and falling of his chest. She grabbed hold of Nick's paw, squeezing gently. Judy held his right paw in both of hers, and brought it up to her lips and kissed it, then gently set his paw back onto the bed, where it lay motionless.

"Nick… it's me, Judy. I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I just want to let you know that I'm here. I'm not going to leave your side." Judy said with tear-filled eyes. Her sobs broke some of the words, making her speech slightly difficult to understand. Dr. Venetti pulled up a chair to the side of the bed and allowed Judy to sit next to Nick as he lay completely unaware of the world around him.

"Nick, I want you to know that I love you. I always have, and I'm not going to stop now. We can get through this together. You said it yourself. You said that everything was going to be alright. I want you to know that everything _will_ be alright. I've come to terms with that now. I didn't think it would in the beginning, but I do now. When this is all over and done, I know that things will turn out alright…" Judy said, but was interrupted by the door opening. Judy looked up after hearing the sound of the door, and she saw a figure standing in the doorway, shrouded by shadows. When the figure stepped forward, Judy was graced with the appearance of none other than Veronica Wilde. The vixen stood on the other end of the room, looking at Judy and her son who was laying in a hospital bed. Judy quickly got to her feet and ran over to Veronica. Judy embraced the vixen with open arms. Veronica's eyes were already filled with tears, and Judy was sobbing uncontrollably.

"I came as quickly as I could. They told me he was in critical condition." Veronica said in between sobs.

"He's doing fine, now. I'm glad that you're here." Judy said, hardly comprehensible. Dr. Venetti and Officer Fangmeyer both stood next to each other, watching the scene unfold in front of them. Judy gave a quick glance to the deer and the tiger, and she could have sworn that she saw Fangmeyer wipe away some tears from his eyes. Judy held Veronica's paw as they walked the short distance to Nick's bedside. Another chair was brought over and Veronica took a seat, sliding it as close to the bed as she could.

"Nick, look who's here. It's mom…" Judy said. Veronica's eyes moved to Judy for a split second before returning to Nick.

"Nicky, it's your dear mother… I miss you darling... I'm here for you. Judy is here for you. Everyone is here for you." she said, more tears flowing from her eyes. She stared at his face, taking in the morbid sight before her. She hated to see any mammal in a state like this. It was petrifying to think that something so simple could cause such devastation on a mammal. It made everything that much worse knowing that this was happening to her own flesh and blood, the last living piece of her husband that she had left. Veronica took Nick's paw, and held it with a firm grasp. She held his paw for a few moments before setting it back down. Veronica bowed her head and placed her folded paws on her forehead and closed her eyes. Then she knelt down on the ground, pushing the chair back a little ways, causing a high pitched screech that made the fur on Judy's neck stand on end. After a few moments, Veronica opened her eyes and looked up to the ceiling with new tears welling up in her eyes. Then she moved her paws to right below her chin, now placed flatly together. Slowly, her paws moved from her chin to sliding over her eyes as she broke down crying. A concerned look on Judy's face, she wrapped one of her arms around Veronica's shoulder. Judy's action slowly turned into a hug, which lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Soon enough, Veronica's sobs faded into the silence of the room which they were in.

"Judy, Ms. Wilde, there is something important that I would like to discuss with the two of you…" Dr. Venetti said. Whatever it was, Judy was sure that she would not like it. The vixen and the rabbit turned their attention to the deer. "This is something that is difficult for me to say. After Nick was brought here, we performed a CT scan on him. The results showed that the cancer has spread rapidly to his brain, bones, kidneys, and liver. Unfortunately, I'm not going to give him any more than two weeks to live, and that's at most. I know that it is hard to have this be his final resting place, so we do have the option of him being released in a couple of days where he can be made comfortable at home, spend his last moments in the comfort of his own bed. If that's something you'd be interested in, let me know. I'll give you some time to think about it if you need to." he said. Judy pondered the thought for a while, doing her best to hold back the river of tears that threatened to break through the dams she had built up. Veronica and Judy locked eyes and the vixen gave her a look that translated into, 'it's your choice.'

"I think I'll need some time to sleep on it. I'm not sure I want to make that decision right now." Judy said, a little bit choked up.. She received an understanding nod from Dr. Venetti.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Just make sure that I get a definite yes or no by tomorrow." he replied. Judy returned a nod. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some other business to attend to." said Dr. Venetti. He quickly left the room and his footfalls slowly faded into quietness from outside the room. Judy and Veronica turned their attention to Nick, who had stirred slightly in his sleep. Judy looked hopeful that he was waking up, but she knew that the likelihood of that happening was very slim. She kept her eyes locked on Nick's pale and sickly face. It pained her to see the usually jovial and care-free fox in such a state of distress and weakness.

She kept her gaze fixed upon Nick for the greater part of a few hours, only occasionally looking away when she heard a noise coming from the hall. Each time footsteps were heard from the corridor, Judy's ears would go up and turn towards the door. She would be broken from her trance and quickly turn her attention to the door for just a few seconds, then return to Nick, ears once again falling flat behind her. There was so much going on in her head, and she was so focused on Nick that she didn't even notice when Veronica got up and left the room, then came back a few minutes later. After Dr. Venetti had been gone for about an hour, Fangmeyer was called on his radio and left the room, giving Judy a salute before exiting the room. She responded to his farewell without even looking away.

As time approached five o'clock, a nurse came into the room to check Nick's vitals, likely right before the end of his shift. The male raccoon quickly and quietly did his work, not exchanging any words with Judy or Veronica. After a few minutes, he was done and he left the room just as it was before he had entered. Veronica soon started giving Judy some worrying glances, noticing that the rabbit's eyes were slowly closing and then opening again as she struggled to stay awake, despite it only being the later afternoon.

"Judy, are you going to be alright?" Veronica asked, concerned for her daughter-in-law. Judy jumped when she heard her words, as if she was woken up from a light sleep, which very well may have been the case.

"What? No, I'm fine." Judy said, hoping to end the conversation there.

"Judy, you need to go home and get some rest. You can barely hold your head up." she said. Veronica did have a point there. She had been dozing off constantly for the last half hour, slowly closing her eyes and then falling forward, which would wake her up in a hypnagogic jerk.

"I suppose I should, but who's going to watch Nick?" she said. Judy was not about to let Nick lay in the bed without someone by his side. She would do whatever it took to make sure that he was alright. Veronica laughed a little on the inside when she heard Judy speak. 'She can hardly even think clearly. This poor bunny is going to hurt herself if this keeps up…'

"Judy, I'm his mother. I'm going to do whatever I can to be by his side. And when we can't be, he'll have the doctors and nurses to take care of him. Please just do me a favor and get some rest. I hate to see you in such a deplorable state." Judy thought about her statement. 'Do I really look that exhausted?' The day had been a very emotionally taxing one for sure. It was probably for the best if she went home.

"Ok. I probably should get some rest. But can you do one favor for me?" Judy asked. Veronica looked intently into Judy's violet orbs.

"What would that be?" she replied.

"Can you walk home with me?" Judy said, almost with a pleading tone. "I don't really have a ride. It's not too far from here either, about 20-ish minutes by walking." The vixen looked at Judy with an amused grin.

"You don't need to convince me, sweetheart. I wouldn't let you walk home on your own right now anyways." she said. A smile appeared on Judy's face, seeing that Nick's mother really cared for her a lot. Veronica stood up, holding out a paw for Judy. "C'mon. Let's get you home." she said. Judy gladly took the paw and walked out of the room, and for the first time in hours, she left Nick's side.

* * *

Filled mostly with silence and the occasional mindless small-talk, the walk to Judy's apartment was more or less uneventful. As the vixen and the doe approached the front door to the apartment, Veronica stopped Judy, giving her a serious look that contrasted her usually laid back look that she normally saw on Nick. The gaze threw Judy off a bit, but she figured that things were about to get serious.

"Judy…" the vixen began. She seemed to be getting choked up about something. "I really don't know how to say this, but I want to thank you. You have changed Nick's life. You made him worth something again. You turned his life around, you saved him, and there is no way that I can repay you for that." she said, scratching the back of her head as she looked at the concrete under her feet. Judy gave her a sympathetic look when she saw dark lines on the fur under her eyes.

"Listen, with all due respect, I didn't do anything. I just put a mirror to his heart and showed him what he already knew. I gave him a different perspective on life, and showed him that he already had a life worth living. The truth isn't that I saved him, it's that he saved himself. I learned from somewhere that mammals do not change. The mammal he is now was always inside of him, it was simply masked by the fear and hardship that he faced as a kit. I simply showed him how to take that mask off." Judy replied. By the time she had finished, there were tears welling up in her eyes as well, and Veronica had completely broken down into sobs. The two came together for a hug, and it was a hug that truly meant something special to the both of them.

"I'm really going to miss him…" Veronica said amongst her sobs. Judy was now holding her up because her knees had given out. Judy struggled to keep the vixen upright, because she was over three times her size. Judy slowly helped her to sit on the concrete steps of the apartment building and began comforting Veronica. The events of the day were really catching up with her. She had managed to keep her composure pretty well at the hospital, but now she was letting everything out all at once, and that was probably for the best.

"I know… I am too… we all are going to miss him." Judy sobbed. Her arm was around the fox's shoulder, and Judy had to stand one step above Veronica to do so. Judy's paw rested on Veronica's opposite arm, stroking side to side to ease the pain that welled in her heart. The two sat in silence, apart from the occasional car driving by and the sound of their suppressed cries. A few mammals entered and exited the building, giving the fox and the rabbit strange looks as they walked by. After a few more minutes, the two mammals had run out of tears for the day, and the sobbing ceased. Once again, they stood up and hugged for a short time, then exchanged caring glances.

"Make sure you get some rest. I want you to be well rested for tomorrow." Veronica said, smiling down at Judy.

"I'll be sure to do that." Judy replied. They both exchanged waves as Veronica walked back towards the hospital and Judy opened the door to the apartment building. It had seemed like ages since she'd last ascended the steps up to her fourth floor apartment, even though it had only been a day. The walk up the stairs aggravated her core muscles, which were still sore from the wedding night. She winced in pain each step she took.

She knew very well what had caused the pain, and that it would go away on it's own, but she still thought about what could possibly be coming in the future. The thought seemed to comfort her, rather than make her uneasy. She knew that it would be hard to go on, but she wasn't going to give up that easily. Judy really didn't know when to quit. She climbed the last step and then she hopped down the hallway to the room. She looked at the door, which had a large gash in it from when the ZFD had busted it open. 'At least they fixed the damage…' Judy noted, seeing that the door was locked and still latched properly. She turned the key and unlocked the door, walking into her dark and empty apartment. Everything else looked the way that she had left it that morning, as if nothing had gone wrong earlier that day. She stood in the doorway for a second, taking in the scene. From her pocket, she felt a buzz from her phone. Pulling out her phone, she looked at who might be calling her. The rabbit's heart sank when she saw Bogo's name appear on the screen. Reluctantly, she swiped across the screen to answer the call.

"This is Hopps…" she said, hoping not to get too much of an earful from the buffalo.

"Hopps. I just wanted to check on you, seeing the current circumstances." Bogo said, his voice completely void of it's normal tone. Instead of his voice being cold and emotionless, it was almost soothing and compassionate, which took Judy by surprise.

"I'm doing alright. I've just arrived at home, sir. I'll be fine." Judy replied.

"That's good to hear, Hopps. I'll assume you'll want tomorrow off?" Bogo asked. Now that was a shocker. Never did Judy think that he would ever give her so much time off.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have duties to fulfill. There will be no need to do that." Judy said. She really did want tomorrow off, but she had taken too much time off in the last month. She figured that working might help clear her mind.

"Duly noted. I'll be seeing you tomorrow then, Hopps. Have a good rest of your night." Bogo said.

"You too, sir." Judy said. She lowered the phone from her ear and tapped the red button on the screen to end the call. She stared at the wall in front of her for a few seconds before walking into the bedroom, finding it surprisingly clean. The bed was made and there was no pile of Nick's clothes in the middle of the floor like usual. Judy inhaled through her nostrils, finding that the room smelled much like Nick. The scent of the room calmed her down a bit, as she had been constantly on edge for the majority of the day. She jumped into the bed and pulled the sheets over her. 'I should get some pretty good sleep tonight…' Judy thought.

She couldn't have been any more wrong.

* * *

The whole night she had spent worrying about Nick. His scent kept making Judy think about him, which had kept her up most of the night. Anytime she did manage to fall asleep, she woke up within the hour and never really got any decent rest. Soon enough, Judy's alarm rang which made her nearly jump out of bed. The rabbit looked around, holding her body up with her arms placed behind her. She saw the bright illumination of the phone on the nightstand next to her bed, and she reached for the phone to shut off the alarm.

Reluctantly, she got out of bed and as quickly as a tired bunny could and got ready for another day on the force. She quickly hopped in and out of the shower, spending a little more time thoroughly drying her fur. She put on her neatly kept uniform and re-brushed the fur on top of her head, making sure that it didn't look like she had went straight from her bed to work. Hurriedly moving to the door, she looked over the empty apartment, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything important. When she was satisfied, she opened the door and shut it quietly behind her, locking it when it was fully closed.

Walking down the many flights of steps to the ground floor, she was lost in thought. So much had happened in so little time. Things really couldn't get much worse.

'But they could go so wrong in the blink of an eye.' she thought.

She did something out of the ordinary by jogging to the station rather than taking the subway, but seeing as though she had gotten three hours at the most for sleep last night, a quick jog would probably wake her up. She figured she could save some money by jogging to work, and in the process getting in better shape in the long run, but by the time she had made it, she was out of breath and struggling to stay steady. It wasn't too far of a jog, but her uniform wasn't made from the most breathable and comfortable material in the world. She slowly walked up the stairs to the station and opened the door, revealing the bustling lobby.

Mammals went by, to and fro, holding stacks of paper, officers handling detained mammals, citizens trying desperately to pay off parking and speeding violations before they had to be to work. The usual cheetah was sitting at the front desk, of course not paying attention to anything that was going on around him. Judy wobbled over to the desk to do her morning greeting.

"H… how's it going… Clawhauser?" Judy said in a half whisper, still struggling for oxygen. He looked around until his eyes moved down, spotting the hunched over rabbit in front of his desk.

"I think a little better than you. What happened?"

"I decided to jog to work today instead of taking the subway. I regret this decision entirely!" Judy huffed. She began breathing more normally and she leaned against the desk.

"That makes me out of breath even thinking about it. You poor thing!" Clawhauser said, clutching his chest as if he'd just ran a marathon. "Oh, by the way, Chief wanted to talk to you. He's in his office."

"Ok, thanks. Have a good day!" Judy said. Before she could walk away, Clawhauser spoke again.

"Hey, Judy. I need to ask you something really quick." Judy turned back around and focused her attention on Ben. "You remember when I helped you out a few weeks ago." Judy did recall how he helped them find Nick's mother. She still wasn't quite sure what he was getting at.

"Yes. I do recall. What about it?" Judy asked.

"Where did the reward donuts go?" Judy's brow lowered and her eyes became narrow as she looked at the cheetah with a goofy grin on his face.

* * *

"So what you're saying is that I'm on leave for a while?" Judy asked. She did not like the way this conversation was going.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Until this whole thing with Wilde gets sorted out, you are to be working as little as possible. I still don't think you should be here today, but you should have _some_ time to work before things get more complicated than they already are." Bogo said. He had a fantastic point there. Things were destined to get very complicated in a matter of time, and that was something that Judy needed to be prepared for at work by getting as much paperwork done as possible. That was not very appealing to Judy, but she knew that arguing was pointless, and so she accepted.

"While that would be great, I honestly don't think I will have much time to work. As soon as Nick wakes up, I'm going to be responsible for taking care of him. Getting help is going to be difficult, so I'll be dedicating most of my time to him. It's just how it's going to be." Judy said. Bogo nodded.

"I understand that, Hopps. We will just have to take things as they come. It's a tough situation, and I've dealt with things like this before. When you don't know what the future holds, it can be difficult to make a quick decision, so for now, you'll be on temporary leave. Is that clear?" Bogo said.

"Yes, sir." Judy said, still less than happy about the situation.

"Splendid, you're dismissed. No assignment today. You and Jackson will be in the office."

Judy got up from her chair and left Bogo's office, slowly closing the door behind her making sure to not make too much of a noise when it shut. She walked down the hallway and down the stairs. Judy thought about her conversation with Bogo. She had never worked so little since she first began at the ZPD, and now, there was an unknown amount of time that she would be forced to be away. She thought a little more, remembering that there was someone much more important than her career that she need to take care of. Yeah, Nick was definitely more important than her job. She wouldn't neglect Nick's condition and force his poor mother to do it all alone. That just wasn't who Judy was. She would tough it out, even if things do get to be a lot to handle.

In her cubicle, Judy typed away on her computer, sorted through piles of paperwork, constantly walked over to the other side of the cubicle to sharpen her pencil, and hummed along to various songs which were stuck in her busy mind. She had done a pretty good job staying awake throughout the morning. Soon enough, the small analog clock on her desk showed that it was time for lunch. Judy logged out of her computer, then she hopped down from her swivel chair and out of the cubicle. She walked down a few rows from her own space and found the gray-furred wolf still sitting in her desk, frantically looking through a large stack of papers. Judy knocked on the wall of the cubicle, and Jessie's ears shot up and she looked around, trying to find where the sound came from.

"Ready for lunch?" Judy said. The wolf set the stack on her desk and turned around in her chair and looked at Judy, a grin appearing on her face.

"Is it that time already?"

"Yep. Let's go… unless you don't want any food."

"I'm not going to protest. I didn't have any breakfast this morning." Jessie said, raising both her paws up. The wolf and the rabbit walked away from the cubicle farm and down to the lobby of the station. They stood in amongst the few other mammals in the lobby.

"What do you feel like?" Judy asked.

"Have you tried Mariano's Pizzeria?" Judy was instantly reminded of her last shift with Nick, and how they had been recognized by the hare, then they had to wait forever to get their pizza. Luckily they had gotten it for free. Judy thought it would probably be a good idea to give it another shot.

"Yeah. I think that'd be fine." Judy said. They both walked out of the station and into the open air, which had now been filled with rain. Just this morning it was clear and nice outside, but now it was pouring outside! They both quickly ran back into the station and both got the same idea.

"Let's get the patrol car." they both said at the same time. Jessie and Judy let out a little giggle when they said the exact same thing. They walked over to the door to the garage and opened it up, seeing the lines of patrol cars in the concrete structure. They walked down the rows, finding their car and Jessie hopped into the driver seat. She turned on the car, reversed out of the space and drove out of the garage. When they exited the shelter, Jessie turned on the wipers to their full speed. The rain came down in large drops, making very loud smacking sounds on the whole of the large vehicle. There was quite a bit of water on the streets and in the gutters, making the roads quite slippery. The fact that it was only a little above freezing was not a comforting thought either. They drove down the road, coming to a stop each time they hit a red light. Soon enough, they arrived at the pizzeria. They got out of the car quickly and ran inside, desperately trying to get out of the heavy rain. They looked around the empty restaurant, and found a booth with a good view of the whole restuarant. They sat for only about a minute before someone came to take their order.

Judy cringed when the very same hare from last time walked over to their table. The hare nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw Judy again. His brown eyes grew incredibly large and he slowly approached the table.

"Well… um… I didn't expect to see you here again." he said. Jessie gave Judy a strange look.

"You know this hare?" Jessie said.

"Well… sort of. He took Nick and I's order the last time we went here." Judy said. The hare looked at Judy again.

"Speaking of Officer Wilde, where would he be?" the hare asked. Jessie and Judy got a funny idea.

"What do you mean? Officer Wilde is right here!" Jessie said. She gestured to Judy, and Judy held up her paw with the ring on it, wiggling her fingers. The hare looked at Judy's paw, examining the ring. He recalled the last time Nick and Judy were there and he gasped.

"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot! Congratulations! But that still doesn't answer my question. Where is Officer _Nick_ Wilde?" The hare said. Judy also recalled how the hare liked to get very personal. Things were about to get interesting. Jessie looked at Judy with a look of shock on her face.

"I'm afraid that's confidential information." Judy said with a wink. The hare didn't know what to think of her response, so he changed the subject.

"Alright… what can I get you two to drink?" he said nervously.

"I'll just have a water." Judy said.

"And I'll take a glass of cola with no ice." Jessie said.

"Ok, and are we ready to order?"

"Not yet." Judy said.

"Ok, I'll get those drinks for you." the hare said as he walked away from the table. Judy turned her gaze over to Jessie, looking like they were about to get serious. Jessie anticipated something bad. She was actually a little scared of the rabbit, despite her small size.

"Ok… We are going to talk about your choice of drink. Who gets no ice with a glass of soda!?" Judy said. Jessie let out a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean? It's perfectly logical! If you get ice, then you get less liquid in you glass, plus when you get to the last few gulps, it's all watered down and tastes terrible. Also, the drink is already cold from the machine. You don't need to keep it cold." Jessie said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Ok, good point, but it's still weird," Judy said. "you are the only mammal I know that does that."

"Well, then that means I'm the only smart mammal you know." Jessie replied.

"I don't think so! I know plenty of smart mammals." Judy scoffed.

"Well, I bet each and every one of them don't get ice in their sodas," Jessie said. "it's just a fact that ice in soda is pointless." Judy gave a look of shock. This was like blasphemy to her ears.

"I just don't get it," Judy said. "Ok, now what to do you want. We could get a large pizza, and do a quarter of it with my topping and the rest of it with whatever you want."

"I'm trying not to eat too much, how about a medium?"

"I guess that's fine. Then we'll do half black olives and then half whatever you want."

"I'll just do green peppers on my half." Jessie said. Judy's ears went down when she said that. Nick and her had gotten the exact same thing last time. Jessie noticed Judy's ears and cocked her head to the side. "What? Is there something wrong with my topping of choice?" Judy shook her head side to side.

"No, it's just that when Nick and I went here last, that was exactly what we got." Judy said. Jessie's face softened and she exchanged a caring glance with Judy.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise." Jessie said. She knew Judy's pain all too well. "I know that it's been hard for you lately. I want you to know that if you need anything, I'm here to help. We are partners, you know." Judy smiled, feeling grateful knowing that Jessie was willing to help her with anything now.

"Well, I suppose you should know something, since we are partners. Bogo is having me go on temporary leave starting tomorrow. I don't know for how long, but I figure it'll be for awhile." Judy said. A frown appeared on Jessie's face.

"That's rough. Well, I guess it's for the best." Jessie said. She was about to continue, but the hare returned with their drinks.

"Here's the water and the cola, no ice." he said, setting the drinks in front of their rightful recipients, as well as placing two straws on the table. "Do we know what we're going to order?" the hare asked.

"We'll do a medium pizza with black olives on half and green peppers on the other." Jessie said. The hare wrote it down on the small piece of paper.

"Ok, I'll get that in for you." he said. Just as he was about to walk away, Judy got his attention.

"Say, I've seen you here twice now, but I don't know you name." she said. The hare gestured to himself.

"Oh, right. Where are my manners? My name's Maral. May I know who this is?" he said, now gesturing to Jessie.

"I'm Officer Jessie Jackson, Judy's new partner." Maral's eyes grew wide. He thought about asking something that he had no business asking, but he did anyways.

"Is it too much if I ask why Officer Wilde is no longer your partner?" he said to Judy. She considered not telling him, but it would probably be fine if she told him a little bit.

"Nick is no longer on the force, due to health complications." Judy said. This wasn't the response Maral was hoping for, and his ears fell back.

"Oh, I didn't realise. That's too bad. Well, it was a pleasure to meet you Officer Jackson. I'll go put in your order." Maral said as he walked away from the table. Judy followed the hare with her eyes until he walked through a door marked "Employees Only". Outside, Judy could hear the rain had slowed down a lot. Judy and Jessie talked for about 20 minutes before the pizza was brought out by a hippo, who was probably the chef. He set it down on the table and gave the two officers plates. Each of them took their first slices, which were still steaming hot. Jessie took a small nibble from the tip of the slice, grinning in satisfaction. When your order came out on time, the place really did make the best pizza in the city.

Judy blew on her slice until it was cool enough to eat. Her first bite of the fresh slice was wonderful, the bottom of the crust being a little bit crunchy and the cheese was incredibly flavorful. Judy chewed the pizza, loving every moment of the experience.

"This… is… fantastic!" Judy said and she swallowed.

"I thought you had been here before." Jessie said.

"Yeah, but the last time I was here, they took too long to get our food out, so we had to take it back to the station. I didn't get to eat it until it had already cooled down too much. This is my first time trying it fresh out of the _wood-fire oven_!" Judy replied, making her paws go in an arc shape. The wood-fire oven was supposed to be the restaurant's selling point.

Jessie giggled and continued eating. They ate in silence, and both of them finished all of their food quite quickly. They received their bill, and Judy noticed that they had gotten a small discount. They left the money on the table and also left a decent tip. They both stood up and walked out of the store, seeing that it had stopped raining all together. The ground was damp and the air smelled like fresh rain. It had also gotten a little bit warmer outside, now in the lower forties.

They both got into the patrol car, Jessie once again taking the driver's seat. She turned the key, and the engine roared to life. Jessie put the car in gear and drove down the street to get back to the precinct. They moved along slowly, passing by other mammals on the sidewalk. Judy looked out her window, watching the various buildings and parked cars pass by as they drove. The station came into view ahead of them, the massive building towering over most of the other buildings in the area. Jessie pulled the patrol car into the garage and into it's designated space. She shut off the car and both Judy and Jessie got out.

Walking back to their desks, the rabbit and the wolf parted ways when they made it back to the cubicle farm. Judy walked into her small space and hopped onto her swivel chair. The analog clock read 1:44. 'Just in time…' Judy thought. She logged back onto her computer and got back to work.

Time flew by after her lunch break. Soon enough, the clock told her that it was five o'clock. She finished up the task at hand and then prepared to leave. Finally she was able to see Nick again. Judy thought about how he had barely crossed her mind that day. She was proud of herself. She cared about Nick, but being preoccupied with him for the entire day wouldn't be healthy, and last night confirmed that fact. Gathering her things, she left the small, thin-walled cubicle behind and walked out into the lobby of the ZPD headquarters. Walking from behind his desk, Judy got Clawhauser's attention.

"Hey, I'm probably not going to see you for a while. Have a good rest of the day!" Judy said. Clawhauser gave Judy a surprised look.

"What do you mean? You're not working tomorrow?" he replied.

"No. Chief is putting me on leave. Right now I'm going to the hospital to visit Nick." Clawhauser's face lit up. He had an idea. He bounced in his seat in excitement.

"Oh! Can I come with? I haven't seen his grumpy face in sooooo long!" he squealed. Judy couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm.

"Don't you have to work the night shift tonight?" Judy said. She really didn't want him to go. He was a really nice mammal, but at times he could get a little carried away with his conversations about Gazelle, which can bring just about anyone to tears.

"No, I was lucky enough to have tonight off. I was actually about to leave as soon as my replacement got here." Clawhauser looked over to his left. "Oh, speak of the devil. Here he is."

Judy turned around to see one of the night-shift workers walk into the large front desk, a very large rhinoceros whom Judy did not know.

"Thanks a lot, Jerry. I'll be seeing you later!" Clawhauser said. He walked out from behind the desk as Jerry gave him a snort, which Judy assumed meant something along the lines of "No problem."

"Well? Are you ready to go?" Clawhauser said enthusiastically. Inside, Judy's heart sank. 'This is going to be a long visit…' she thought.

"I guess…" Judy replied. She knew that it would destroy him internally if she said no, so there really was no choice. The two officers left the building and Clawhauser followed behind Judy. He started to fall back after a little ways and then he stopped entirely. They had barely made it out of the building.

"Instead of walking, how about we take my car? That would be a little better." he said. Judy could detect hints of breathlessness in his voice.

"I guess that would be fine. Will you be able to take me home afterwards?" Judy asked. She figured he would, but she should at least ask.

"Of course! I'd love to." he replied. There was no task that he wasn't happy to perform, no matter how boring or insignificant, and that was one thing that she loved about Ben. He lead the way to his car, which was actually a fairly new car, and one that Judy thought looked really cool. It was a nice black coupe that looked like it was pretty fast. It also looked like Clawhauser had spent some extra cash on getting even faster than it used to be. He unlocked the car, and a satisfying click emanated from the passenger door. Judy opened it up, and sat down in the seat, which was clearly not the stock seat. On the headrest was the word "Recaro". Judy figured that it was the company that made the seat. It was quite comfortable and had massive bolsters on the sides, so it was also very supportive. She reached for the seatbelt, but her paw found nothing.

"Um, Clawhauser, does this thing have seatbelts?" Judy asked. She was a little concerned for her safety.

"No, but there should be a harness behind the seat. I'll get it for you." Judy's eyes widened as Ben pulled a four point harness from behind the seat. She clicked everything in and pulled all the straps tight. Judy looked around the interior of the car. It was covered with carbon fibre and had very few comfort items that a new car like this should have. There was also a heavy duty roll cage that was visible. Probably not a good sign. Clawhauser wiggled the gear stick, making sure it was in neutral. He put one foot on the clutch and one on the brake, then he twisted the key to the run position, and finally he flipped up a cover that looked like it belonged over a nuclear detonation switch, then pushed the start button. The car roared to life and nearly blew Judy's eardrums out. This thing was loud! She covered her ears, but slowly removed them as she got used to the noise.

"I just put on a new exhaust! They won't let me on the track anymore because it's too loud!" Clawhauser shouted over the noise. "It'll get quieter when it warms up. The engine is super cold!" Judy could barely hear him over the noise. She figured that if it sounded like this, it was probably going to go like stink! After a few minutes of sitting, Clawhauser spoke again.

"I just wanted to get oil flowing through the turbo before we take off! I can't be having that go bad! It was really expensive!" he shouted. Judy started to panic. Clawhauser put the car in reverse, and backed out of his spot slowly. After he had backed out enough, he put the car in first, and a popping noise came from the rear axle.

"It's got a triple plate clutch, so that's why it's making those noises, in case you were wondering!" Clawhauser shouted. Judy had no idea what that meant, and it probably wasn't good… for her.

Judy held onto the armrest on the door when Clawhauser got on the street and he gave the car a little bit of gas. Judy was shot back into her seat and her stomach felt like it flipped upside down. Clawhauser let out a giggle seeing Judy look like she was about to blow chunks.

Now the most terrifying part was about to happen. They came to a stoplight, and when it turned green, they would be entering the interstate.

"Just so you know, this car has a 5.0L V10 that makes over 600hp to the wheels and over 500lb-ft of torque. It goes 0-60 in about 2.5 seconds, so hold on!" he giggled, but it was more of a mischievous evil laugh than a giggle. He pushed a few buttons on the dash, one of them labeled "Launch Control". Judy's eyes showed signs of terror at what "Launch Control" might do. Clawhauser saw the opposite light turn amber, and he put his foot all the way on the clutch. He floored the accelerator, which brought the revs up to 4000 rpm. When the light turned green, he dumped the clutch and Judy was put as far back into the seat as she could be. She sweared she could feel her cheeks being removed from her skull. The rear wheels spun a bit and the car flew ahead of every other car behind them. Clawhauser shifted expertly through the gears, each new shift bringing on terror and screams from Judy. They entered the interstate and he let off the gas, quickly slowing down to a legal speed.

"Clawhauser!" Judy screamed, not unlike the night they were chased by Mr. Manchas. Clawhauser nearly jumped out of his seat when she screamed. "What… the HELL is wrong with you!?" Her eyes were ripe with rage and she was about to tear Ben to shreds. He looked sheepishly over at Judy for just a second, but she motioned for him to keep his eyes on the road. He obeyed her command and looked at the road ahead. Clawhauser grinned once more and he down-shifted, rev-matching perfectly. Then he floored it again for just a few seconds, bringing them to a very illegal speed. Judy screamed in terror as they accelerated and she held onto the armrest. He let off the accelerator and up-shifted, coming to a nice cruising speed of 65 mph once again. It looks could kill, Ben would have disintegrated from how angry Judy was. He had probably taken that too far.

"Sorry, Judy. I didn't know you weren't a fan of fast speeds." He said sheepishly. Judy began yelling over the sound of the car, blowing his eardrums out about all the laws he had just broken. They exited the interstate and in just a couple more minutes they were at the hospital. Clawhauser pulled into a spot and they both exited the car. Judy got out of the car and shut the door hard.

"Woah, woah. Don't be slammin' the doors. That's no way to treat my baby, no matter how angry you are with me!" Clawhauser said. Judy mouthed the word 'sorry' but refused to talk. They walked into the hospital, and once again the smell made Judy grimace. She and Clawhauser walked up to the front desk and the same jackal from before was typing something. As they approached the desk, he looked up and smiled.

"Are you two here to see Mr. Wilde?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yep. Is he open for visitors right now?" Judy replied. The jackal looked at his computer and typed in a few things. He looked back up at Ben and Judy.

"He certainly is. I'm sure you know where his room is." the jackal said. Judy had Ben follow her to the elevator. She pushed the button marked with an up arrow, and the doors opened up right away. They both got inside, and Judy pushed the button with a '3' on it. The doors closed and it began moving up. There was a small screen above the many buttons that displayed what floor they were on. It went from a 1, to a 2, and finally to a 3, which is when the elevator slowed down to a stop and then the doors opened up. Both of them walked out of the elevator and in front of them was a long corridor. They walked to about the middle, then they turned right and were faced with another long corridor. At the end of it was Nick's room, the place where her husband lay unconscious in a bed.

A lump began forming in Judy's throat with each step closer to the room. She had no idea why she was feeling this way, but it probably had something to do with Clawhauser. He really didn't know what kind of state Nick was in, and she was worried that he would be a bit freaked out by his condition. The room was now only a few feet away, and Judy felt like it was 100 degrees in the hospital. They approached the room, the door of said room being open, and inside was Nick's mother who sat next to the bed, and alongside her were two more chairs.

Judy tapped the door with the back of her paw a few times. Veronica's ears went up and turned as far back as they would go. She turned around and her eyes lit up when she saw Judy. The rabbit and the cheetah walked into the room. Clawhauser's eyes were big and he was looking at all of the equipment in the room, specifically at the tubes and wires connected to Nick. Ben walked up to the bed, seeing Nick's pale and sickly face for the first time. His small, round ears splayed back and he looked like he was about to start crying. Nick had been one of Ben's best friends at the ZPD, so Judy figured that this would be a tough experience for him. The vixen and the doe gazed upon the large cheetah, who was now holding one of Nick's paws in his own. Ben was completely transfixed on Nick's face, and a tear shed from one of his eyes. The drop fell onto the sheets that covered the rest of Nick's frail figure, leaving a small wet spot in the white fabric. Ben lightly tapped his paw on top of Nick's a couple times and set it back where it was and he sat down in the chair behind him.

Judy walked over to Ben and put a paw on his shoulder, hoping to quell the pain that was burning in Ben's heart. His light sobs quickly subsided, leaving the room completely void of sound, except for the subtle beeping of monitors and machinery. Judy was not one to keep her emotions hidden, especially when someone else shared them with her. Tonight, however, would be a different story. She would stay strong, for Nick. She knew that if she started crying with Clawhauser, Nick would reply with some snarky comment about bunnies being emotional. The thought of Nick and his constant pestering made Judy's heart leap with joy. Oh, how she yearned for that fox back. Even though his antics seemed to annoy her, she actually quite enjoyed them. The constant friendly bickering, the nudging with elbows, her giving him a good sock right to the arm. She truly did miss all of that. It was what made their relationship something special.

"The doctor said he expects Nick to be awake by tomorrow…" Veronica said. Her voice was quiet and it seemed like it was strained and weak. Both Judy and Clawhauser turned their attention to the vixen.

"That's good. It'll be nice to have his eyes open for a change," Judy said. She realised that she needed to do something. "Oh, I almost forgot, Veronica, this is…" Judy was interrupted by the cheetah.

"Officer Benjamin H. Clawhauser. I work with Judy. I'm what you would call dispatch." he said as he stood up and extended a paw. Veronica looked at the large cheetah and took his paw with a firm grip.

"Pleasure to meet you, Officer Clawhauser." Veronica said hesitantly.

"Oh, please, call me Clawhauser, or Ben. Whichever one you like. It doesn't matter to me." he replied. Veronica had a half confused, half amused look on her face.

"Ben here is kinda the life of the party at the station. He's the one that makes your day that much brighter when you walk in the front doors of the station. He'a also the best in the precinct at his job." Judy said, inciting a squeal of happiness from Ben.

"Oh, Hopps, you flatter me too much!" he said, almost yelling it. His paws shot up to his face.

"And trust me when I say it's not hard to get along with him, as long as you like Gazelle." Judy added.

"Oh, you don't even have to do that. You just have to have heard of Gazelle for us to get along!" Ben squealed.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you." Veronica said with a giggle. "I know I heard a few things about you from Nick and that wolf officer at the wedding. All fun stories and memories." she said. The vixen motioned for Ben and Judy to sit down in the chairs that were next to the bed. They both sat down and then she joined them in the rightmost chair, down by Nick's feet.

They sat and talked for what was a couple of hours. They talked about all the memories that they had of doing things with Nick. Veronica told some stories about Nick when he was little. She talked about the house in the country that she used to live in and Nick's incident with the wood burning stove in the basement. He was only about four years old, and he had managed to get the door to the stove open when it wasn't in use. Veronica had gone downstairs to grab something and she saw a little gray fox sitting on the floor. It took her a moment to realise that it was Nick covered from head to toe in ashes. She said that she wasn't even mad, because it was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen. She talked about everything she had been through over the years, and how after Nick turned five, they moved into the city, hoping that they would have a better life there. Judy was glad that she didn't get into the subject of her husband's disappearance. Even though it was intriguing to Judy, she didn't ask about it.

When the sun started shining directly through the window, Veronica decided that she would go home.

"I've been here since noon, so I'm going to go home and get some rest." she said. Judy got up and gave her a hug, and Clawhauser shook her paw once more. Judy waved goodbye as she walked out the door. Just as Veronica left, Dr. Venetti walked into the room with a smile on his face like usual.

"Judy, it's great to see you here. I assume you've made a decision?" he said. Judy nodded in affirmation.

"I have…" Judy said. She knew that it was for the best, but what she chose would be a great responsibility. "I'm ready to take care of him myself. We can release him when he wakes up. I want him to live out the rest of his days at home." Judy said, happy that she had made it through without any interruptions. Clawhauser looked a little bit shocked and a little bit concerned for Judy.

"Excellent. I'm glad you came to a conclusion."

"It only took three hours of sleep to get there." Judy replied with a small chuckle.

"I imagine you had a rough night last night? You look fine to me right now. If you hadn't said anything, I would have assumed you got plenty of sleep last night." Dr. Venetti said. Judy nodded. She looked back at Clawhauser for a second, who was one reason that she was so awake.

"It was terrible. It wasn't a straight three hours, though. It came in short intervals all throughout the night."

"I definitely know your pain. Just make sure you get plenty of rest tonight." Dr. Venetti replied. "Now, I want to tell you something that will hopefully make you happy. I'm expecting Nick to be awake by tomorrow afternoon. He's been moving a lot more and it's looking like he's recovering a lot of lost strength."

"I was already informed by Veronica, but it's great to hear it from you as well." Judy said.

"I also want to say that he probably will not be able to walk on his own when it's time to get him out of here, so we might have to transport him and help him up to your apartment," Dr. Venetti continued. " We will also need to have a doctor check up on him for the first five days he's there, just to make sure his health isn't rapidly declining" Judy nodded, showing that she understood. "Excellent. I've got to be going now. I'll be seeing you hopefully sometime tomorrow." he finished with a smile. Judy smiled and waved back at the deer before he disappeared behind the door. Clawhauser was looking at Judy with a strange look.

"You're going to take care of Nick? Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked.

"Oh, trust me, Ben. This isn't going to be too hard. Veronica is going to be helping me a lot throughout the way, so I'm not doing it alone." she replied. Clawhauser nodded.

"Ok. That makes me a little bit more content. I'm just looking out for you Judy, It's what friends do." Clawhauser said. He gave Judy a big grin and Judy couldn't help but smile back at the cheetah. He really was probably the nicest mammal in the entire city.

"Well, I suppose we should probably get going. I want to get some things done at home." Judy said. She got up from her chair and Clawhauser followed. Judy looked back at Nick once more before turning around and walking out of the room. The two officers walked down the corridors and to the elevator. Descending the few floors to the ground floor, they were completely silent. The only other sounds came from footsteps and the beeps from the elevator. When the doors opened, they both walked out and headed straight for the front doors.

"Now, Ben. If you drive like a lunatic again, I swear to God I will bring upon your family a plague that will last for generations, do you understand me?" she said, her amethyst orbs being reduced to tiny slits. The cheetah replied with a quick salute.

"If you drive normal, I'll get you two boxes of donuts." Judy said. His face lit up and his paws shot up to his cheeks. He unlocked the car and Judy once again hopped in, dreading what might happen.

* * *

The ride to Judy's apartment was anything but crazy. Ben had actually driven like a normal mammal and Judy didn't feel like she was about to die. He pulled up to the aging building and pulled up on the handbrake. He allowed the car to rest, which rolled back ever so slightly when he took his foot off the brake. Judy opened her door and got out of the car, being careful not to slam the door. She walked around to the other side and thanked Clawhauser for giving her the ride, then he drove off. He gave it a lot of gas, which made Judy cover her ears when the car backfired, sending a shot of flames from the exhaust.

Judy was about to enter her apartment when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly grabbed it and answered the call. The voice on the other end spoke some things to Judy. Her ears fell back and her eyes grew wide at the voice speaking to her. She started to get very nervous and her heart rate increased dramatically.

"Ok, thank you so much. I'll be there as soon as I can." she said quickly and shakily. Judy put the phone back in her pocket and ran out into the street, hoping that Clawhauser was still in sight. Nope. Judy panicked, and she looked around for anybody. Just then, she saw a familiar tiger figure walking out of her apartment.

"Tai! Tai! Can you take me to the hospital!? Nick's awake!" she yelled. Tai looked up at her and smiled. He quickly ran to his car and motioned for her to get in. Judy hopped into the car and Judy flashed her badge.

"Drive however you feel fit. Get me there as fast as possible" she said. The tiger nodded and floored the gas.

* * *

 **(A/N: Wow, Judy sure has some pretty cool neighbors, huh? I hope you enjoyed this much longer chapter. I do work very hard on each and every chapter, believe it or not, so if you like the story, please favorite and follow it. I update as often as possible.**

 **If you want to tell me what you thought of this chapter, please leave a review. They are what keep me writing, so I need as many as I can get! If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to PM me. I will respond to all of them. Unfortunately, this story is getting to it's last chapters, though I'm expecting maybe five more. I've got big plans for a sequel though! I'm really excited for the future!**

 **Anyways, thank you everybody for reading. I look forward to reading your reviews and suggestions. Like I said, I will respond to everything I get. Cheers! -Ande883)**


	11. Falling Back In Love

**(A/N: First off, I think an apology is in order. I'm very sorry that it took a while to get this chapter out. I came down with a serious case of writer's block and I actually lost interest in the story for a few days. But now I'm back with some fresh ideas and hopefully everything is good now. And now, I give you Chapter 11! Enjoy!)**

"Faster!" Judy shouted. The tiger in the driver's seat was gripping the steering wheel hard, desperately trying not to get them both killed on the way to the hospital.

"Listen, rabbit. You pipe down unless you want to end up in the hospital too! You're just lucky I was on my way to get groceries instead of something more important, otherwise I wouldn't have given you a ride." he shouted. Judy sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. She harrumphed and looked out the window of the speeding car.

"Jeez, there's no need to be a jerk about it…" Judy said quietly, but Tai still heard what she said.

"I'm sorry… that was in poor taste, wasn't it? I've just got a lot of adrenaline going through me right now. I just want to get you there as fast as possible, _and_ in one piece." There was a ZPD patrol car ahead of them, red and blue lights flashing and leading them to the hospital. They had been stopped for speeding, but luckily the officer that stopped them happened to be Officer Higgins, who was a good friend of Nick's, and so he gave them an escort to the hospital. They were going probably 50mph in a 25 zone, which was terrifying to both Judy and Tai. The tiger kept his eyes glued on the road ahead, ready to make any evasive maneuvers if necessary. 'This would be much worse if Clawhauser was driving…' Judy thought. The idea made her laugh a little, but if it were real, she would probably be puking rather than laughing.

They arrived at the hospital in record time from Judy's apartment, getting there in less than 10 minutes. Judy was anxious and eager to finally get to see Nick awake for the first time in days.

"Thank you so much, Tai. I really don't know how I can repay you." Judy said right before getting out of the tiger's car.

"Judy, you don't need to do anything for me. I'm always glad to help a mammal in need. Now you go see Nick, and tell him hi for me." he replied. Judy really didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky with having good neighbors like Tai, especially after dealing with Bucky and Pronk. Judy smiled back at him with a big grin.

"I'll be sure to do so." she said, and Judy ran as fast as she could to the front doors of the hospital, all while waving back at Tai. His car slowly moved from the space in the parking lot and drove away. The automatic glass doors slid open for Judy, allowing her to keep her speed until she slid to a halt in front of the front desk, where the jackal from earlier had been replaced by a friendly looking otter. Panting from her jaunt inside, Judy got the otter's attention.

"Excuse… me sir!" Judy said between breaths. "I'm here to see Nick Wilde. I'm his wife… I was told that he was awake." Judy panted. The otter looked up with a somber expression.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Wilde, but he's not open for visitors right now. I've been told to keep anyone out of the room unless they are medical personnel." the otter replied. Judy was about to protest, when she heard a very familiar and strong Zoo-York accent from behind her.

"I'm going to make an exception for her, Gerald." Dr. Venetti said, walking up from behind the rabbit, who was almost in tears. Judy looked intently at the tall, slender deer. She was dumbfounded by the timeliness of his arrival. He looked down at Judy and his kind gaze met hers.

"Follow me, Judy. I'll take you up to his room." he said. Judy did not reply, as she was still in a little bit of shock. So much was going on and she was still a bit out of breath from her dead sprint from the parking lot. She was also a bit fuzzy from the sheer weight of the situation she was in. The two walked over to the elevator in silence and Dr. Venetti pressed the button to go up. They waited for the door to open, neither of them looking anywhere but forward. The elevator made a 'ding' sound and the door slid open. The two mammals walked in and Dr. Venetti pressed the button for the third floor. The door slid shut quietly and a whirr came from all around them.

"So, how you been doing since I last saw you's?"

"I've been fine. It has only been what… 35 or 40 minutes, but I'm fine, doctor." Judy chuckled.

"Oh, please. Call me James from now on. I think we know each other enough now."

"Whatever you say… James." she replied. The elevator stopped and the door slid open. The two mammals walked out and then strolled quietly down the corridors until they reached the door to Nick's room. James put a hoof on Judy's shoulder before she entered the room and twisted her to face him.

"Now, Judy..." he began. "Nick is quite weak right now, mostly in his legs, so he can't walk very well. He also is having a slight issue speaking, but that should get better in a couple of days. I just wanted to let you know so that way you weren't getting distressed in front of him, ok?"

"I understand." Judy replied strongly. She was prepared to face whatever was on the other side of that door, no matter how upsetting it may be. Judy put a paw on the door and gave it some force, slightly opening the door. The room was dimly lit as the curtain had been closed. She pushed a bit harder on the door, causing it to open so that she could see Nick sitting up in the bed, and he was looking at something in his paw. Judy heard a quiet sob come from the bed and her heart sank as the sound reached her ears. She opened the door the rest of the way and walked inside the room. Nick looked up from his paws and quickly wiped away any tears from his face and sniffed. His big, green eyes locked with Judy's eyes, which lit up with emotion seeing her best friend and husband finally conscious in front of her.

She quickly walked over to the bed and jumped onto the bed, careful not to land on any of Nick's aching body underneath the sheets. She wrapped her arms around the fox's neck and gave him a tender kiss right on the lips. He returned the kiss, which re-ignited the fire in his heart that had been put out by the news he received earlier that day. They broke the kiss and lovingly gazed into each other's souls. The deer watched the reunion of two lovers from the doorway and smiled. 'They really do love each other…' he thought. It was something that he never would have fathomed, a fox and a rabbit being married. It seemed strange, but love didn't discriminate, and this certainly was no exception to that saying. He quietly walked out of the room to give them a little bit of privacy. 'I've got to tell Markus about this…' he thought as he walked out of the room.

Judy unwrapped her arms from Nick and she snuggled up to his chest, the subtle beating of his heart drumming in her ears. Judy rested a paw on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, putting on his trademark grin that he wore so well.

"It's good to see you too, Carrots." he said hoarsely. Despite how he sounded terrible, it still comforted Judy to hear his voice again. Nick stroked Judy's ears, which made the rabbit shiver a little before she let out quiet purrs of satisfaction. He would never get sick of that trick. He moved his paw lower until he was rubbing her back, which made her relax upon his torso even more. Judy lifted her head from Nick's chest and gazed into his eyes. Judy looked over Nick's rising and falling chest, seeing a small flat object in his other paw.

"What's that?" she said, pointing at his paw. Nick looked into his paw, realising what she had seen.

"Oh, this?" he said, holding up a wallet photo. "It's a picture… from the best day ever. I've had this in my wallet for probably almost three years." As he held it up, Judy could get a good look at the picture. She recognised it from the day Nick graduated from the academy. He had his aviators on top of his head and was posing with Judy after the ceremony, both of them saluting. Judy could see the stage in the background, and could tell that the photo had been a selfie from Nick's phone. It had turned out to be his and her favorite of the many photos that were taken that day. Judy took the picture from Nick's paw and examined it closer, reminiscing on that wonderful day. Her speech, pinning Nick's badge on his uniform, the look of pride on his face when he saluted back to her on the stage. She remembered everything like it had happened yesterday.

"I want everything to be like it was that day…" Nick said, his speech becoming a little more coherent. Judy looked back at Nick with concern.

"Nick, now's not the time to be wishing for the past. It's ok to remember the past, but don't dwell on it like I can tell you have been." She was good, Nick had to give her that. He had been thinking about that moment in his life pretty much since he had woken up. "You've done so good up until now. Why is everything turning full circle?" Judy remembered a time, just a about a month ago, when Nick was the one saying that everything was going to be alright and she had been the one not accepting of the facts. Now the roles seem to have flipped.

"I guess everything is catching up with me now, knowing that I _really_ don't have much time left…" he sighed.

"Nick, you were the one to tell me that you would never give up, even if times got to be difficult. I want you to promise me that you won't give up, no matter what happens in the future. You are going to give it your all, fight until you have given everything you have to give, and then give a little more. Can you do that for me… for your mother… and most importantly... for yourself?" the last one hit Nick hard. For himself? What did that even mean? He had no idea, but he knew that there was only one answer to such a question.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes, Judy." Nick replied with a genuine smile, rather than his sly grin. Judy smiled back at the fox. Nick leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on Judy's forehead. She relaxed back into his chest, now closing her eyes, and Nick started to stroke Judy's ears again.

"Why do you have to be so good to me?" she said quietly. Nick smiled at the rabbit laying next to him.

"Because I love you." he stated. "I figured you hadn't heard that in a couple of days, so I think you're due for a dose of love from your favorite fox." Judy couldn't handle herself. She let out a spurt of laughter that only meant pure joy. It was a sight that nearly melted Nick's heart.

"Nick, I love you too. I think you should hear that too, considering you've been asleep for two whole days." Nick's ears went up as he recalled something.

"Speaking of that… what's been going on with you the past two days? Did you do anything noteworthy, other than worrying about my handsome mug?" he asked gesturing to his face.

"I've been working," Judy shrugged. "That's about it, really." she replied, not lifting her head from his chest. Nick noticed that she sounded exhausted.

"Carrots, you don't sound too good right now. Have you slept at all in the last two days?"

"Not much, but I'm fine right now." she replied.

"I'm worried that you're going to fall asleep right on top of me, not that I'm protesting," he said holding up both his paws in the air. "But Dr. Venetti might not see it my way."

"Well, this whole week has been physically draining, all thanks to a certain dumb fox. And it's only Wednesday!" she exclaimed.

"Right in the feels, Carrots. Right. In. The. Feels" he replied shaking his head side to side. Nick continued to stroke Judy's ears. Her reaction to the intimate gesture was something that would never get old. The way she purred with each downward stroke was so…

'Cute.' Nich thought. The word popped into Nick's head and Judy opened her eyes for a second, as if she knew that he had thought about the forbidden word. Nick quickly got the word out of his head and relaxed. 'That was a close one…' Nick thought. Nick looked at Judy's eyes as they slowly closed, turning narrow slits of purple into nothing but gray fur covering her eyes. Nick yawned, stretching his arms as little as possible to avoid waking Judy. His eyelids felt like bricks and they slowly fell until he only saw black.

Nick's eyes opened slowly, revealing his empty hospital room, which was only illuminated by a few lights overhead. From the small space between the window and the curtain covering it, he could see the spires of downtown Zootopia being engulfed by twilight. A few stars began to poke their way through the black silk of the night sky and the moon was just over the horizon. Nick looked to the small tray next to his bed and grabbed his phone, thumbing the power button to illuminate the screen. When it flashed on, it showed the time was a quarter after seven.

He looked down at his chest, where Judy's head still rested, gently rising and falling with his breathing. She looked so content, like she hadn't a care in the world. Her face was in a state of complete serenity, and he felt bad that he had to wake her up. He scratched the space in between her ears and a delicate smile manifested itself on her face. In the middle of sleep, she swatted the air around her head, trying to find whatever had touched her. Nick moved his fingers down to her cheek and rubbed softly with one of his fingers. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times to adjust them to the dimly lit room. Nick caressed her face with one paw and stared into her eyes, which now met with his.

"What time is it?" Judy said groggily while rubbing her eyes.

"A quarter after seven." Nick replied with a sly grin. At his words, Judy was woken up and she instantly regained her usual energy. Judy adjusted her position in the bed, and now was nose to nose with Nick, intently staring into his eyes.

"I guess that's my cue…" she whispered. Judy quickly moved forward and placed a kiss on his muzzle, leaving Nick dumbfounded with his muzzle half open. She hopped down from the bed and walked towards the door, flicking her tail at Nick in a teasing manner right before she turned around.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Nick questioned. Judy stared at him, but Nick noticed something different about the way she was looking at him. It was subtle, but he could see a sly grin appear on her muzzle. Before Nick got a verbal answer, she quickly ran out of the room, leaving Nick all alone. He leaned back in the bed and put his paws over his face, letting out a sigh that eventually turned into suppressed laughter. "Sly bunny…" he quietly said to himself.

Judy quietly hummed to herself as she strolled down the corridor. She wore a big smile on her muzzle and she went along with a certain spring in her step. As she jovially walked along, she passed by Dr. Venetti who was conversing with a nurse. As she passed by, Judy turned around, still continuing in the same direction and gave him a little wave. The deer looked around the nurse and gave her a wave back with a slightly bemused look. The rabbit turned the corner and continued down the final corridor all the way to the elevator. She stopped in front of the gray metal doors and pressed the down button. She waited patiently until the doors slid open. She boarded the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

The door slowly closed and the small room wiggled slightly as it moved downward. The numbers on the small screen decreased until it reached the ground floor where the elevator came to a halt, making a ding sound as the door opened. Judy started towards the main entrance of the hospital. The large glass doors opened up for Judy and she strolled out into the cold December air. Judy stopped right as she got out of the hospital, enjoying the fresh air. She exhaled, her breath visible in the cold. Judy shivered a little bit, but continued her excursion to the apartment.

* * *

Her lungs were burning and her legs ached as she sped down the sidewalk. White puffs came from her breaths as she exhaled, desperately trying to get oxygen as she sprinted. She could see her apartment ahead of her just down the road. The cold was unbearable without some sort of covering like a jacket and for the last five blocks, she had been running as fast as she could. With her building in sight, Judy managed a burst of speed, propelling her forward much faster than previously.

Approaching the concrete steps, she quickly slowed down, sharply turning and bounded up each step. She pulled open the door and stopped in front of the stairs, putting her paws on her knees and panting heavily. The tips of her fingers and ears were numb from the cold and her throat was rough from the dry winter air. After catching her breath, she began the treacherous climb up the stairs. 'One at a time…' she thought to herself as she slowly ascended the first flight of stairs.

"One down… four to go…" Judy said irritably. She struggled to the fourth floor, requiring the assistance of the small-mammal railing to get her up the last two. She slowly wobbled down the corridor to her own apartment. She twisted the key in the deadbolt and turned the knob, pushing the door open. She walked inside and shut the door behind her. The apartment was pitch black and she couldn't see anything. She reached up the wall with her right paw as high as she could go and flicked a lever which bathed the entryway in a dull yellow glow.

Judy walked forward a few steps before turning left and went down the short hallway. She turned right at the end of the hallway and walked into her bedroom. She flipped on the lights which revealed her's and Nick's room. Judy hopped onto the bed and pulled out her phone. Unlocking the device, she typed in her parents' number and tapped the MuzzleTime icon. After a few rings, Bonnie's face appeared on the phone.

"Hey, sweetheart! How've you been, baby?"

"I've been good, but this week has been incredibly exhausting…" Judy sighed. "But, on the bright side, Nick woke up today." Judy tried to exclaim, but she was too tired to show much emotion. Bonnie showed a look of shock and relief at the same time.

"Oh, Judy. That's wonderful! How is he doing?"

"He's much better than I thought. He was pretty talkative in the short visit I gave him today. Though he can't walk very well and his speech is slightly impeded, but it wasn't too bad. Other than that he seemed to be doing great."

"That's wonderful, Judy. I've been worrying that things were going to get much worse for a moment." Judy cringed internally at her words. Her mother didn't know exactly what Nick's condition was like at the moment. All throughout the visit, Judy could tell that Nick was hiding a lot of pain, but he did it quite well. Judy pondered her mother's reaction to the bad news that Nick was given two weeks to live and figured it was best if she didn't tell her right now.

"Yeah, well I think everyone was. Most everyone at work has been more on edge than usual. I know that Nick was well liked at the precinct, but I really didn't expect something like that to happen."

"It's good to hear that you have plenty of support there in the big city. You know how your father is about you living so far from home."

"Of course. He still hasn't adjusted too well has he?" Judy asked. Bonnie didn't speak, but she slowly nodded with wide eyes.

"He's asked me twice this week if I knew when the next time you'd be home was. I don't think he remembers that it's only been a few days since you were home." Judy chuckled. 'That certainly is dad…' she thought.

"Well, you haven't been to the city since my graduation from the academy. Why don't you take a trip down here?" Judy thought it would be a good thing for her parents to get away from everything on the farm and just relax in Zootopia.

"I don't know if we could anytime soon, but I'd have to check. Otherwise I think that would be a great idea!"

"Ok, I'm looking forward to it! I'm also exhausted from this week, so I'm going to get to bed. I'll see you soon!" Judy replied.

"Ok, sweetheart, you get some rest. I love you!"

"I love you too, Mom. Bye bye!" Judy said. She tapped the button to hang up the call. Judy sat on the side of her bed and set her phone on the nightstand. She got up from her bed and walked over by the door and turned the lights off. She found her way back to the bed and got in, not bothering to take her clothes off. She pulled the sheets over her body and layed her head back on the pillow behind her. Judy stared straight up at the ceiling and sighed, thinking about the future. Soon enough, her eyes slowly shut until there was nothing but warmth and much needed slumber.

* * *

"Ok, Nick, let's just take this nice and easy for now." the deer said. Nick was sitting on the edge of his bed with his arms pressed into the mattress. Nick looked at Judy, who was standing at the other end of the room with her arms crossed. She had a smile on her face and was waiting to see how well he could walk.

"Here we go…" Nick whispered. He was not looking forward to trying to walk, because he knew that it would probably end in disaster. The bed was nice and safe and warm. 'Yeah, let me stay in the bed. I like the bed.' he thought. Reluctantly, he pushed up from the mattress with his paws to get him standing. Having left the safety and warmth of the bed, Nick maintained his balance well and looked at Judy, who still had her unreadable smile plastered on her muzzle. Nick took a step with his right foot, sending a dull and quiet smack from the linoleum. He took a few more steps with relative ease. He smiled after walking a few more steps, but he was mostly smiling because he hadn't fallen flat on his face yet. Now with his confidence soaring through the roof, Nick quickened his pace and strolled around the room with no problem.

"How about that? I am a fox of many wonders." Nick said while turning around and facing Dr. Venetti and Judy.

"Very impressive, Mr. Wilde. You seem to have recovered much better than anticipated. Go ahead and take a stroll down the hall and back, then we can get you cleared." Dr. Venetti said. Nick slowly walked over to the door and pulled it open. Judy walked out after him and Dr. Venetti walked out after Judy. Nick started walking down the hall and Judy followed closely by his side.

"So… feeling good?" Judy asked, looking into Nick's gleaming eyes.

"Right now, I'm feeling wonderful, Carrots. It's nice to finally move my legs."

"That's great, Nick. I'm glad that you're going to get to come home finally." Judy got closer to Nick and whispered in his ear.

"Things have been getting lonely at home…"

Nick's eyes grew big as he looked at the grin appear on her face. Nick looked down upon Judy's figure, eyeing every part of her. The way she walked with a spring in each step, the way her ears bobbed back and forth as she walked, the way her grey fur glistened in the light. He was memorising each and every feature of her face, because he knew that this bliss and contentment wasn't going to last. Nick's casual grin dissipated and he buried the dark thoughts quickly. 'I can't be thinking like that. I made a promise, and it's one that I'm not going to break.' Nick thought to himself. His grin hastily reappeared on his muzzle as they came to the end of the hallway. Nick spun around and Judy stayed by his side as they continued down the hallway.

As slickly as possible, Nick found Judy's paw and he grasped it. Judy looked up at Nick when she felt his paw take hers. Judy moved closer to Nick, so close that she was almost leaning on him as they walked. They came back to the end of the hallway where Dr. Venetti was patiently waiting.

"Excellent, Nick. I truly am impressed. I didn't think you'd be able to walk after you woke up, but you sure proved me wrong." Dr. Venetti said. "Now, I'm going to clear you for release and then you two can be on your way." Nick smiled at the deer and Judy looked up at Nick with her eyes beaming with excitement, still holding his paw. Dr. Venetti scribbled his signature on the paper and handed the clipboard over to Nick. The fox looked at the paper and signed where he was supposed to with no hesitation. Nick handed the clipboard back to the deer.

"I'm gonna miss this place… totally gonna miss it." Nick said sarcastically. Judy gave Nick a funny look.

"I sure hope not." she said with a chuckle.

"Well, you two can head downstairs and then you'll be free to go." Dr. Venetti said. "But I'm sure you'll want to change out of that first…" he said gesturing to Nick's hospital gown. Nick looked down at himself, and realised that it probably wouldn't be the best idea if he walked out of the hospital wearing that.

"I brought you a change of clothes, Nick." Judy said.

"Great, what horrible drab are you going to force me into this time, Carrots?" Nick said, expecting her to have brought the clothes that she wanted him to wear, rather than the clothed he was comfortable in.

"Oh, just your khakis, your green Hawaiian shirt, and your blue and purple striped tie. Nothing that you care to wear very much. It's in the room in." she said. Nick's eyes lit up and he gave her a wink before pushing open the door.

"I'm glad you finally can see it my way."

Nick walked into his room and shut the door behind him. Stripping off the gown, Nick slid on his favorite outfit and he instantly felt more like himself. Nick opened the door and walked out of the room for the last time.

"Judy…" he said, offering his paw to her. The rabbit looked at his paw for a second and then placed her paw in his. They gazed into each other's eyes for a while before starting off down the corridor. They walked down the corridor, paw in paw like they had just fallen for each other all over again.

* * *

The drive back to the apartment was quite uneventful. Officer Fangmeyer, who had been such a big help to Judy recently, gave them a ride back to their apartment in his patrol car. Judy rode in the back while she allowed Nick to have the front seat. They quietly rode along in the large vehicle, only engaging the tiger in casual small-talk. They pulled up in front of the apartment and Judy quickly got out of the car to help Nick out. She opened his door and held out her paw for him to take. Nick slowly lowered himself from the car and planted his feet firmly on the tarmac of the street.

"Thank's so much for driving us back. You've helped out so much for us recently. I don't know how I can thank you." Judy said to her tiger superior.

"Oh, you don't have to do anything for me. I'm just happy to see Nick back on his feet." he said. "Now are you sure you don't need any help going up the stairs?"

"No, I think we can handle them. Thank's for the offer though. Have a good rest of your day!"

"Will do." Fangmeyer said with a salute. The tiger looked up at Nick. "Stay strong, Nick. Everyone at the precinct is rooting for you." Nick nodded at the tiger and gave a lazy salute. Judy shut the door to the patrol car and he drove off down the street, turning the corner and driving out of sight of the fox and the rabbit. Judy took Nick's paw and she led him to the front of the apartment building where she helped him up the concrete steps to the front door with no issue. Confident that he could walk up the rest of the stairs on his own, Nick walked inside the building and began his first flight of stairs, relying heavily on the railing to his right. Judy watched from the bottom of the steps as he successfully climbed the flight. Nick turned around and faced Judy, holding his arms up in triumph.

"I am the best. No stairs shall bring me down!" he proclaimed. Judy giggled at his sunny disposition.

"You're not done yet. You've got four more left." Judy said. At the mention of more stairs, Nick's smirk quickly turned into a look of determination, like climbing the stairs was his ultimate goal in life. Nick turned to the next set of stairs and he quickly conquered the last flights. Judy followed him closely behind and watched him celebrate like a little kit. Nick began singing a song of triumph.

"But I would climb 500 stairs and then I would climb 500 more. Just to be the fox who'd climb 5000 stairs then fall down at your door!" As he finished singing he plopped down in front of their apartment and looked up at Judy with a goofy grin on his face.

"I think the meds they gave you in the hospital made you all loopy." Judy giggled.

"No, I'm just happy to be home. Believe it or not, the hospital is not a fun place to be cooped up in for days at a time." Nick stated.

"Well now you can be cooped up at home for days at a time." Judy said while kneeling down by the fox who was sitting on the floor.

"Yeah, but maybe I want it that way, Carrots. Ever think of that?"

"No, I never did. Now let's get inside before someone sees us." Judy joked. She was really enjoying this new, refreshed Nick. He seemed happier and more care-free than ever, and his attitude was very contagious. She couldn't help but smile every time she looked at him. She didn't know what may have caused this change, but she was thankful for whatever it was. Judy held out her paw and Nick took it and stood up. Judy unlocked the door and revealed the apartment which had been eagerly awaiting for Nick's return. Nick walked in the doorway and inhaled deeply through his nose, remembering the smell of his own place. He instantly relaxed and found himself more content than ever before. Nick wandered into the living room and spun around with his arms out. He fell down onto the couch and layed back with his paws behind his head and closed his eyes.

"I could get used to this again, Fluff." Nick said. Judy shook her head at the fox and she walked into their room. Her phone began buzzing and she quickly got it out of her pocket. She slid her finger across the device and held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart, quick question. Does your apartment have a sign that says 'Manolin Park Suites' above the door?" said Judy's mother over the phone. She had no idea why her mother would be asking that question.

"Yeah, why?" Judy asked.

"Ok, thanks! Bye bye!" Bonnie said, then she quickly hung up the phone.

"Wait, Mom…" Judy pulled the phone away from her ear and she looked at it with a confused look on her face from the short and bizarre conversation she had just had with her mother.

"That was weird…" Judy said to herself. She walked back out into the living room where Nick was still laying on the couch,eyes closed and seemingly asleep. Judy walked over to the couch and knelt down by him.

"Nick, you awake?" Judy asked.

"..."

"Nick!" Judy said louder. A faint smirk appeared on his muzzle.

"..."

Judy looked at the "sleeping" fox and she snuggled up to him on the couch. Judy slid her paw down underneath his shirt and she scratched his chest. Coos of satisfaction came from deep within Nick's throat and the fox's eyes opened into tiny slits, revealing a little bit of emerald among the short russet fur that covered his eyelids. Judy removed her paw from underneath his shirt and she climbed on top of Nick, straddling his chest with her legs. She placed both of her paws on Nick's pecs, squeezing gently and getting very close to his muzzle. Nick's eyes quickly opened up to their normal, half-lidded state, but she could almost detect a look of fear in them.

"I think it's time for you to wake up, Slick." Judy flirted. Nick let out a quiet chuckle.

"And why do I need to be awake? Are we going to do something?" Nick queried.

"Why don't you find out?" Judy said as she closed the short distance between their lips and met him with a kiss. Judy's paws moved up to clasp each side of Nick's muzzle. They broke the kiss but quickly moved back together for another. Judy's ears were bright red by now and her blush was almost visible on her cheeks.

A knock at the door interrupted their kiss, and the two moved apart while Judy sighed in anger. Did they have to be interrupted right now? Judy hopped off of Nick and down from the couch.

"You." Judy said while pointing at Nick. "Stay there. I'll be right back." Nick gave a two-finger salute and watched the rabbit turn the corner and out of his sight. Judy came up to the door and she looked up at the peep-hole near the middle of the door. She wanted to look through it to see who was at the door, but she wasn't tall enough, so she grabbed the handle and pulled the door open a bit. Judy popped her head outside the door to see two rabbits standing in the doorway. Judy's ears dropped behind her head and her heart sank.

"Jude the Dude! How's it going in the big city?" Stu said loudly. Judy opened the door all the way and looked at her parents, who apparently were visiting the city. Judy had a bemused look on her face as she stared at the two older rabbits in front of her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were visiting?" Judy asked sternly. While she was happy to see her parents, a little bit of a warning would have been much appreciated. 'How is Nick going to take this?' she thought to herself.

"Well, I figured it would have been in your mind since we talked about it last night." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, I just said you should visit _sometime_ , not the very next day! I'm not prepared to have any guests, plus I kind of have a lot to deal with right now!" Judy said, looking back at the living room where Nick was probably listening to every word of the conversation.

"Oh, don't worry, Judy. We got a hotel down the road a few blocks. And we're here to help you out with cleaning and things so that you can relax. I can see that you're awfully tense." Bonnie said. 'Ok, maybe this isn't as bad as I thought. They want to help? I didn't expect this, but I'm not going to complain.' Judy thought to herself. Judy turned around and yelled to Nick.

"Hey, Nick. Come here! Someone wants to see you!" The three rabbits waited a moment before Nick's figure came from around the corner. His eyes looked at the three rabbits, but mostly at the two who he knew were Judy's parents. His eyes grew wide when he saw them and he was left nearly speechless.

"I… uh… when did you… uh... get here?" Nick asked shakily.

"Oh, we got here late last night, like, _really_ late. Probably more like early this morning." Stu said. Nick let out a nervous chuckle.

"So… you're staying at a hotel, not here right?" Nick said. Judy gave Nick a stern look after he spoke. Both of Judy's parents gigged.

"Yes, we have a hotel. We are going to help out around here so that you and Judy can relax." Bonnie said. Nick let go of the tension that had built up in his body and his shoulders sank back down to their natural position. Nick let out a sigh and he clapped his paws together.

"Well, come on in! Sit down, make yourselves at home. We definitely aren't doing anything right now." Nick chuckled as he looked at Judy who shot him a glare. Bonnie and Stu looked around the apartment as they walked through, grimacing at the deplorable state the place was in. Due to the situation Judy was in, she hadn't had the time to really give the place a good deep clean, which meant that there was a good layer of dust covering pretty much everything and the carpet looked like it could use a good cleaning. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the rooms and dishes sat in the sink unwashed.

"Now, you two go out and do something while we clean this place up. We'll take care of everything." Bonnie said.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Judy asked.

"Enjoy the outdoors, go have a picnic, get some ice cream. Just get out of this place and away from us so we can do our jobs." Nick thought a picnic was a good idea. It would be relaxing and a good way to waste some time. Plus he was pretty hungry.

"I like that picnic idea. What do you say, Judy? It's nice outside." the reynard asked.

"I don't see why not. If this is what you guys want to do, we'll get out of your way." Judy said. Both the fox and the rabbit walked out of the living room and into their bedroom. They shut the door behind them and Nick looked at Judy.

"What the heck are they doing here? Did they actually not tell you they were coming?" Nick whispered angrily.

"Mom and I talked a little bit about them visiting the city last night, but I never said they should come today!" Judy replied.

"Well, we might as well do as they say… We can grab some sandwiches and go sit out in the park for a while… kill some time." While Judy hated to admit it, she really liked that idea. Judy sighed.

"I'll grab a blanket."

* * *

 **(A/N: So it seems that Judy's parents are really nice but complete a-holes at the same time! But now Nick and Judy are going to have plenty of time to themselves, and who knows what's going to happen next chapter... Oh, yeah... I do.**

 **Anyways, thanks for taking the time out of your day to read, and if you liked it, let me know why with a review. Also, if you have any suggestions or comments, please leave a review. If you want to tell me that I'm the worst writer in the world and I should quit right now, go ahead and tell me so I can end your suffering! LOL! JK. Please, please, please, please follow and favorite, too. We hit 60 followers a while back and that's awesome! I need the reviews and follows to keep going, so keep them coming in strong!**

 **I really can't thank you guys enough for this. I've loved every minute of writing this story and I really can't wait to continue! I've really been baffled by the support I've gotten, especially since I'm very new to this whole scene. I absolutely love the community that is present on this website. I've become a much better writer and even a much better person in the last few months and it's all because of you! Again, thanks for the support and words of encouragement! Auf Wiedersehen! -Ande883**


	12. Making Memories of Us

**(A/N: I hope you guys are ready for a lot of fluffy goodness! I decided to take a break from all of the drama and depressing stuff for a little bit, so you get a nice fluff chapter! However I am going to warn some readers that this does contain some very suggestive content. I do go into detail about some things... but it's all well within the guidelines of the website, so nothing too explicit. I would also like to thank Master Merc Red and Black for giving me the music that I wrote this to. I used the song "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban, which I thought was great for this. So, instead of wasting your precious time with my author's note, I'll let you read. Enjoy!)**

Nick and Judy left their apartment in the paws of Bonnie and Stuart Hopps while they went out to get some fresh air. Judy had grabbed an old blanket from their closet for them to sit on while they sat in the park, which was quite close to their apartment building. Seeing that neither of them had eaten anything that day, Nick figured it would be a good idea to get something they could eat in the park.

The two argued about the best place to get their lunch from, but they eventually came to an agreement on the cafe, called Josiah's, just a few blocks away. They made their way to the cafe quietly, only sneaking quick glances of each other out of the corners of their eyes, and every once in awhile Judy would playfully punch Nick in the arm. They stopped at the cafe, and Nick walked in, giving Judy specific orders to wait outside so that he could pay, but he didn't tell her the last part. He bought a couple of sandwiches and two small bowls of broccoli and cheddar soup. Nick was handed his order in a to-go bag and he pushed the door open with his hips, a little bell ringing as he exited.

"Ready to go, Carrots?" Nick asked his rabbit companion.

"Yep. Let's go!" Judy replied. Judy held the blanket underneath her left arm, and wrapped up in the blanket were two plastic bottles of water. The couple walked down the sidewalk once more, passing by their apartment building and over to the end of the block. They turned left and walked to about the middle of the next block and they turned left again into the large park.

Mammals of all sizes were enjoying the unseasonably warm day at the park. Judy eyed the hustle and bustle of the park, watching young children chase each other around the grass. She saw a tiger cub try to climb a tree until his mother scolded him for attempting something so dangerous. A stoat and a weasel sat on a bench and casually conversed about new developments in their lives.

Nick looked around the park and found a nice private location for them to set up their picnic. They were hidden behind a few large pine trees which stood twice as tall as a giraffe, and a small shelter primarily used for shade was not too far from them. Judy unfolded the blanket and fanned it out on the grass, making sure that they had plenty of space to lay down. Nick sat cross-legged near the center of the blanket and rummaged through the bag, pulling out the two sandwiches, the bowls of soup, two plastic spoons wrapped in a thin clear wrapper, and a decent sized pile of napkins.

Judy sat as close to Nick as possible and leaned her head against his arm. Nick slid her sandwich and soup over in front of her. Her stomach growled and within seconds she had ripped off the clear plastic wrapping which covered the sandwich. Judy eyes the sandwich and took a bite. Oh, how she loved the sandwiches from that cafe! Hunger taking over her every move, she devoured the sandwich quickly and moved onto the soup. Nick had just finished his sandwich when Judy removed the lid from the styrofoam bowl and steam was released from the hot soup.

"Ooooh, this looks fantastic, Nick!" Judy exclaimed. Nick smiled as he removed the lid from his own bowl. At the same time, they scooped up a spoonful of soup. Both of them looked at each other and they touched spoons.

"Cheers to us." Nick said with a smile.

"Cheers to us." Judy repeated with a nod. Giving the spoons a little blow to cool the soup to a tolerable temperature, they took their first bites.

They both finished their meals, each of them feeling satisfied now that they had food in their bellies. Now they both layed close to each other with their paws placed behind their heads, watching puffy white clouds lazily float by. Nick placed a paw on his stomach and exhaled.

"I. Am. Stuffed." he said.

"Me too. I'm glad I got the idea to go to the cafe." Judy said. Nick rolled onto his side so that he was facing Judy.

"No, that was my idea!" he exclaimed.

"No, you said you wanted sandwiches and I suggested Josiah's. Then you were all like, 'Hey, that's a good idea, Carrots,' remember? You said it yourself!" Judy said, lowering her voice as much as possible to imitate Nick.

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Did not!" Nick sat up and crossed his arms. Judy followed suit and stood up so that she was level with Nick.

"Did too!"

"Did not!" Judy was tired of yelling back and forth, so she backed up and ran at Nick, tackling him to the ground, and Nick's eyes widened as she jumped on him. She kneeled on his chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him, and grabbed his tie, pulling his muzzle close to hers.

"Yes. You did." Judy stated. Judy pulled him closer and placed a quick kiss on his muzzle.

"Alright, Carrots. You win." he said. Judy let go of his tie and his head fell back to the ground. Nick grabbed hold of Judy's paw before she could hop off of his chest. He gently tugged downward and she layed in between his arm and his torso, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Nick." Judy said quietly.

"I love you too, Judy." Nick replied. The rabbit yawned as she snuggled into Nick's soft russet fur. She could feel his warmth radiating off of his body and it cocooned her in pleasure and the gentle feeling of weightlessness as she drifted off into peaceful slumber.

Nick's half-lidded eyes slowly started closing. He let out a yawn, opening his maw as wide as it could go, then gently closed it. He turned his head so that his chin rested just above the top of Judy's head. His eyes finally closed completely and within a few minutes, he was lightly snoring, dreaming about the beautiful bunny who lay beside him in a close embrace.

* * *

Nick's eyes opened slightly, revealing nothing but brightness in his eyes. He could feel Judy's form to his left, still resting close to him. He realised that they were still in the park, and he sniffed the air. 'Hmm, that smells different.' Nick thought. The air smelled… he really didn't know what it smelled like. He could tell that the temperature had dropped quite a bit, and it was no longer warm outside, but it was more like the typical chill of December in central Zootopia. Nick ears could not detect the sound of other mammals around either. He heard no shouts from children, no casual conversation from other mammals, nor any footfalls on the grass or concrete pathway, as if everyone had left for some reason.

Nick finally opened his eyes and he looked into the sky. No longer was it filled with puffy white clouds, but it was now dark and overcast. The sun did not shine, everyone had indeed left, and he now knew what the air smelled like.

"Rain…" Nick whispered.

It was at that moment that Nick realised that he needed to get himself and Judy to shelter.

The first drop hit Nick square in the nose. Nick wiggled Judy to wake her, but she was still in deep sleep.

"Carrots…" Nick said while wiggling her harder. Nick could hear the booming of thunder in the distance. His ears flicked towards the sound, but they quickly moved back as he felt more and more drops fall onto him. Judy's eyes fluttered open and she rubbed them.

"What's going on…?" Judy said groggily

"We're about to get super wet if you don't hurry up and get off your fluffy butt!" Nick said. He could hear the rain in the distance, slowly closing the gap between the shelter that was close by and an unplanned cold shower with their clothes on. Judy was moving too slow for Nick's liking, surprisingly, and so he resorted to picking her up and running with her firemammal style. He threw her over his shoulder and he picked up the bag and blanket, throwing the blanket over Judy. Making a beeline for the shelter, Nick sprinted as fast as he could without dropping Judy. Just before they made it under the shelter, the rain had increased in intensity and within seconds had drenched Nick to the bone.

The wind picked up and blew sheets of rain into Nick's thick pelt. Finally making it underneath the shelter, Nick set Judy on one of the picnic tables and wrapped the blanket around her. Luckily the blanket had stopped most of the water from getting to her, and she was only mildly damp. Nick on the other hand was completely soaked. Nick held out his arms and water dripped from his fur. Judy seemed to just now be fully awake from her sleep and she was looking at the wet fox, holding her paws over her mouth, stifling laughter.

Nick glared at her as she started to lose control.

"Go ahead, Carrots, laugh it up." Judy took her paws away and she rocked back and forth as she laughed uncontrollably.

"You! Are soaked!" Judy screamed. "That… is... hilarious!" Nick's frown turned into his sly grin as he walked over to Judy and pulled her off of the table and dragged her out into the rain.

"Nick! What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled at him.

"Not so funny now, isn't it?" Nick continued pulling her out into the park. He stopped and pulled her into a big wet hug. Judy escaped from his grasp and gave him a powerful punch to the arm. Seemingly unfazed by the blow, Nick kept smiling at the now very wet Judy. Her stern glare quickly turned into one of joy and laughter.

"Catch me if you can, Carrots." Nick said before taking off running. Judy watched as the fox ran away from her. She sprinted after the fox, barely maintaining balance when she slipped on her first step. Nick looked back to see the rabbit quickly gaining on him. Nick took the opportunity and slid to a stop and turned around to face the speeding rabbit.

Judy jumped before she got to him and held out her arms to the fox. Nick caught the rabbit and held her in his arms. The two came together for a wet kiss, Judy placing her paws on Nick's cheeks. The rain continued falling down hard, drenching them as they kissed each other, and chilling them to the bone. They moved apart from the kiss and looked into each other's eyes.

"I think we should get back home." Judy said, her breath visible in the now very cold December air. Nick nodded and giggled a little bit. Judy was released from Nick's hold and they hurried back to the shelter, paw in paw. Nick tossed the bag into the bin and he held the blanket over their heads to shield them from the rain. They quickly walked back to the apartment after the blanket had soon become soaked and no longer shielded them from the rain very well. They walked up the concrete steps and Nick squeezed the water out of the blanket and he did his best to shake out the water from his fur before they walked into the warmth of the apartment.

Going up the stairs was much easier than before because of the adrenaline going through Nick's system, but after they came to their floor, Nick was very much out of breath.

"I should probably take it easy from now on. I think I've had enough physical activity for today." Nick huffed.

"That's probably a good idea, Slick." Judy replied. The fox and the rabbit walked down the hallway until they reached their apartment. Nick knocked on the door a few times and they waited for a couple of seconds before the door was opened.

"I don't know why you don't just walk into your own apar…" Bonnie was interrupted by the sight of a soaking wet fox and rabbit. They both had guilty smiles on their muzzles, and they stood with their paws folded in front of them.

"What happened?!" Bonnie exclaimed. Nick held his paws up and put on his sly grin

"We got wet?" he said as if he was unsure what had happened to them. Judy giggled at his answer.

"I can see that. Now you two get in here before you catch a cold!" Nick and Judy walked back into their apartment and Judy stood shivering.

"Now, both of you take off those clothes and dry off. And make sure you get some dry clothes on. I don't want to see any less-than-decent mammals running around here." Nick burst out laughing internally at Bonnie's comment. Judy probably didn't see it, but her mother could be a bit weird at times. Nick wondered why she would feel the need to remind them to put clothes on after they removed the wet articles, but he figured it had something to do with the many children she had raised throughout her lifetime.

Nick grabbed a fresh set of khakis and a new Hawaiian shirt and walked into the bathroom, allowing Judy to change in their room. He figured it wouldn't be a good idea for them to be naked in a room together while Judy's parents were literally just outside the door. 'That probably wouldn't go over well.' Nick thought. He shut the door and locked it. He changed out of his wet clothes and used a towel to dry his fur even more. After he was satisfied, he slid on his dry outfit and walked out of the bathroom carrying a pile of wet clothes.

Judy opened the door to their room and slid a laundry basket out into the hall, which contained her wet clothes, and she quickly shut the door again. Nick tossed his into the basket and carried it over to the small laundry room right outside the kitchen and set it by the washer and dryer. He went into the living room and stood, observing the work that had been done in the couple of hours they were away. The carpet had been vacuumed, all surfaces had been dusted and no more cobwebs hung from the corners of the walls. Any dishes that were in the sink had been washed and put away. 'Impressive…' Nick thought to himself. Judy's parents had gotten all of that done in such a short amount of time.

Judy walked out of the bedroom wearing a white blouse that hung low on her left shoulder and a pair of extra tight, dark blue jeans. Nick stood in awe at Judy's appearance. 'What is she trying to do to me?' Nick thought as he stared at her. She looked stunningly beautiful, and to top everything off, she wore a grin that could only be described as flirtatious. Judy turned and looked at Nick, popping her hip out and batting her eyes at him.

"What are you looking at?" Judy asked in a playful manner. Nick was released from his trance at the sound of her smooth and alluring voice.

"You… uh… look different, Carrots." Nick said nervously.

"Oh really. I hadn't noticed." she said sarcastically, and Nick could detect just a hint of flirting in her voice as well. Something was going on with that rabbit, and he was probably going to find out whether he wanted to or not. "Care to take a close look?" Nick gulped as she strided slowly towards him. As she got close, Nick could feel his face and ears getting red hot. Judy now stood directly in front of him and yanked down on his tie, lowering his head down to her level. Judy moved forward and whispered in his ear.

"Watch this…" Judy released his tie and she took a few steps away, then proceeded to cough like crazy. "Mom, I think I'm coming down with a cold." she said weakly. Nick smiled as he watched the thespian rabbit speak to Bonnie, who had walked into the living room from the kitchen. The older rabbit placed a paw on Judy's forehead.

"Oh, you're burning up, darling."

"I know." Judy coughed a few times quite convincingly. "And now I've got this terrible cough. We don't have any medicine, so could you go pick some up for me?" Judy pleaded.

"Of course. Any specific kind?" Judy grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled the name to her typical cold and flu medicine that she liked, then she handed the paper to Bonnie.

"You can only get it at the pharmacy on Baobab and 37th street. It's kind of far away but it works the best." Judy said. Stu walked out of the spare bedroom with a duster, seeming to have overheard the conversation.

"What's going on?"

"Judy is coming down with a cold, so we need to pick her up some medicine." Bonnie said. Stu nodded and reached deep into his pocket, pulling out the keys to his pickup truck.

"Well we better get going. You stay here and rest and we'll be back as soon as possible." he said.

"Ok, thank you so much guys." Judy said. The two rabbits walked out of the apartment and shut the door behind them. Knowing for sure that her parents had left and weren't going to be back for anything soon, she turned to Nick and gave him a little bow.

"And that's how you get your parents away for about an hour." Judy said. Nick's mouth fell wide open and he stood staring at Judy. He raised a paw with one finger up.

"Did you just…"

"Hustle my own parents? Yes. Yes I did." she interrupted.

"But why? Don't you want them to finish cleaning?"

"Not we're about to do this." Judy said. Nick couldn't remember a time when he was as confused as this. "C'mere, I'll show you." Judy took Nick's paw and lead him into the bedroom. She closed the door behind her slowly and then twisted the lock. Nick stared curiously at the rabbit. He still had no idea what was going on. "Please sit on the bed." Judy said. Nick raised a paw to speak, but she quickly shushed him. "No speaking unless spoken to. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Nick said strongly. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, his paws resting on his knees. Judy hopped up onto the bed and then straddled Nick's waist with her legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and maintaining eye contact.

"Do you remember the night of the wedding? Like, the really late night?" Judy asked. Nick could only remember a little bit due to the substantial amount he had to drink, but there was one part that he could never forget. Nick finally figured out what she wanted to do, and the fear that was in his eyes dissipated instantaneously, his sly grin reappearing on his muzzle.

"I thought we agreed on minimizing my physical activity for today?"

"I'll make an exception for this. Now shut up and kiss me." With no hesitation, Nick kissed her with intense passion. Judy kissed him back and her fingers ran through the fur on the back of his head and neck. Nick leaned back on the bed and Judy moved with him, maintaining the kiss that had lasted for several seconds. Nick's paws moved from his knees to around Judy's sides and lower back and he moved them up and down in a rubbing motion. Nick could hear soft moans coming from his partner as she relaxed into his form.

Judy moved apart from the kiss and loosened Nick's tie and slid it over his head. She quickly unbuttoned his shirt and he promptly slid it off, revealing the cream colored fur on his abdomen. Nick's paws clutched the bottom of Judy's blouse and he raised it up and over her head. Her ears were as red as could be when Nick quickly swapped places with Judy, her now laying on her stomach below Nick. He moved down so that his muzzle was touching her ear. Nick placed gentle kisses on top of her head, slowly moving down to her neck, where he nibbled lightly on the flesh of her neck.

"You love me, right, Nick?" Judy asked.

"Of course." Nick replied.

"Show me."

* * *

Nick and Judy both lay underneath the covers of their bed panting heavily. Nick was wheezing and clutched his chest with a paw. Nick turned his head to look at Judy, and she turned her head to meet Nick's gaze. They both smiled at each other and they laughed a little bit. Nick turned his head back to look at the ceiling.

"Wow." Nick said. He had a smile on his muzzle that could not be wiped away. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"I'm a rabbit, Nick. It's only natural for me to desire… that." she replied. Nick thought about the rabbit next to him. The rabbit… wait. Judy's parents are rabbits… that also happen to be coming back soon. Nick's smile was wiped away and a frightened look remained on his muzzle.

"Uh, Carrots. What time did your mom and dad leave?" Nick asked.

"About a quarter to three, why?" Nick looked at his phone, seeing that it was 3:38. Nick's ears splayed back as he showed Judy his phone screen. Judy's eyes grew as large as saucers and she frantically removed the covers from her body. Judy quickly scurried out of bed and put her clothes back on. She ran into the bathroom and made sure her fur was still looking decent, all the while Nick had put his clothes back on and was re-making the bed. Nick was sure that they would be back at any moment now. Judy scrambled back into the bedroom and looked Nick over.

"I'd take a look at your fur if I were you." she said.

"I would love to stare at myself all day like you do to me, but I think there are more important things to be done right now." Nick joked. Judy rolled her eyes at the fox and gave him a light punch in the arm. He went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, seeing the fur on top of his head was sticking up in all sorts of directions. He grabbed the brush and quickly ran it through his fur, doing his best to make it look nice. Judy had finished making the bed look as though no one had touched it since it was made last when she heard a knock on the door.

"Nick, answer it." Judy whispered. Nick watched as Judy ran with a pillow into the living room and out of his sight. Nick walked over to the door and swung it open, revealing Bonnie and Stuart Hopps. Bonnie was holding a plastic grocery bag that contained a small box of cold medicine, a bottle of lemon-lime soda, and a box of saltine crackers.

"Come on in." Nick said. The two rabbits walked inside and Nick shut the door.

"Is she doing alright?" Bonnie asked.

"Right now she's just a little hot, but otherwise she's fine." he replied. They walked out and into the living room where Judy was laying down on the couch, and she had put on her 'sick' act again. Bonnie walked over to Judy and knelt down beside her, placing a paw on her forehead.

"Yeah, you are running a high temp. We got you the medicine you said you liked, but did we really have to go so far away to get it?" Judy coughed a little to add an effect. 'Sly bunny…' Nick thought.

"It's the only place I've ever found it." Judy said weakly.

"Well, your father and I about got lost trying to find the place. These city roads are a labyrinth, let me tell you!" Judy mustered a weak giggle at her parent's lack of knowledge of the road system in the city center. 'She is convincing.' Nick thought. He managed a little chuckle himself. "I also got you some crackers and soda in case you start to have flu-like symptoms. It is that time of year." Bonnie said. "We're going to head back to the hotel and let you rest. We'll be back tomorrow to check up on you. Hopefully you feel better."

"Ok. I love you guys so much." Judy replied. Bonnie managed a hug from Judy and Stu did the same. Bonnie turned to Nick and gave him a hug as well.

"Make sure you take good care of her." Bonnie said.

"Will do." Nick replied. Nick gave Stu a firm pawshake and he showed them to the door. After Nick had given them his final farewells he shut the door and walked back to the living room where Judy had sat up on the couch.

"I think I taught you too well, Carrots. Your performance as 'sick bun-bun' was flawless."

"I only learned from the best." she replied, a big grin on her face. "What do you want to do now?"

"I just want to relax." Nick thought for a moment before a lightbulb went off in his head. "You know, we only got a quarter of the way through that stack of DVD's. Why don't we continue digging?" Judy's face lit up at the suggestion.

"I can't think of a better idea myself." Judy replied. She walked over to the stack and pulled out a copy of "Meet the Flockers". Judy held it up to Nick. "Wanna start with this one?"

"Why not. I still haven't seen it yet." Nick replied. Judy inserted the DVD and Nick turned on the television. He sat down on the couch and pulled the lever to recline the seat. Judy jumped up onto the couch and sat just about in Nick's lap. He leaned the seat back and Judy rested her head on Nick's chest. They watched various movies for several hours, but then Judy's eyes grew heavy and she fell asleep right next to Nick, who didn't last much longer than she did.

* * *

Judy's eyes popped open, and she saw her apartment being dimly illuminated by the light of a single lamp in the corner of the room. The television had been turned off at some point and she could faintly hear Nick snoring lightly. Her eyes moved lazily around, spotting the clock which indicated 1:24 A.M. She was barely awake, but she really wanted to sleep in her own bed for the night so that she could get up for work on time.

'Oh wait, I'm on leave…' she thought. She didn't have to get up for work, and she didn't have anything else to get done around the apartment as her parents had pretty much cleaned everything. She couldn't remember what movie they were watching when she fell asleep, but they had gone through quite a few. Judy felt Nick stir slightly in his sleep. 'I probably shouldn't wake him. He needs his rest. He had a big day yesterday.' she thought. Judy settled back down onto his chest gently as not to wake him and she closed her eyes once more. Soon enough, she was fast asleep on the couch with the one she held dearest.

* * *

 **(A/N: So that was... um... interesting to write to say the least. I know that you were probably expecting something like that due to the events of last chapter, but hopefully it was good enough. I try to stay away form that sort of thing, but I figured once isn't going to hurt me at all... right? RIGHT!?**

 **Anyways, if you enjoyed this chapter, you are probably a pervert. LOL! Just kidding! If you did enjoy it, please let me know what you though with a review and also leave a review to give me any suggestions. Be sure to follow and favorite the story if you want more from me, which there will be more in the future.**

 **As always, I can't thank you guys enough for reading. I love doing this and I don't want to stop, so please keep rooting for me! I need all the support I can get. Au Revoir! -Ande883**


	13. Don't Hate the In-Laws!

**(A/N: How's it going ladies and gentlemen? Good? That's wonderful. I know that things are going great for me, thank you for asking. Here's another chapter for you guys. Sorry this one took so long to get out. I really struggled with it, but I hope it's a good one. This is going ot be the last fluff chapter that I post for this story. The rest of them are going to be pretty serious.**

 **Anyways, I'll let you read. Enjoy!)**

The sun shone onto Judy's closed eyes, her fur glistening in the early morning sunlight coming through the sliding glass door which lead to the balcony. She opened her eyes, blinking them repeatedly to adjust them to the bright morning sun. Close to her right was Nick's sleeping form. She had used his chest as a pillow that night, and boy did she feel refreshed and well-rested. Judy's gaze met the sleeping fox's face. His head had fallen off of the small throw pillow he was originally resting on and now his head was leaning forward, a position that probably wasn't too comfortable for him.

His mouth was slightly agape. If it were open any more, his tongue would have been seen lolling out to one side or the other. Judy giggled as the image of Nick sleeping with his tongue out popped into her head.

"He looks so peaceful." Judy whispered to herself. His usual mask was lifted from his face as he slept. His sly grin was not currently present and there were no unreadable, emerald green eyes staring back at her. He was simply himself. Her gaze was fixed on his still form and how he appeared to be in a state of complete harmony with the world and himself. One of Nick's paws was resting on Judy's thigh. He had probably absent-mindedly placed it there in his sleep. Judy took his paw and moved it to his own lap.

"Oooh. Cold paw there, Nick." she whispered. It was strange to her that his paw would be so cold, but then again, it was pretty chilly in their apartment, so her's probably felt the same to him. But something still felt off about this whole situation. She backed away from Nick, almost in fear, looking over Nick's _very_ still form. She hadn't heard a single peep from him since she woke up, and he seemed to be a bit _too_ still. Judy brought a paw up to his cheek.

Cold.

Judy started to panic. She placed a paw on the exposed part of his chest.

Cold.

There was one thing that she didn't feel while trying to find warmth in his body.

The gentle thumping of his heart.

This threw Judy into an adrenaline rush. She became shaky and her breathing became irregular. Judy lifted one of Nick's paws and she held his wrist, feeling for a pulse.

Nothing.

Tears formed in Judy's eyes as she realised what had happened.

"Nick?" Judy said. She shook him, but there was no response. She felt a flood of emotions crawl over her, one of which was anger.

"Nick! Wake up, Nick! Say something, please!" she yelled, slamming her small, balled-up fists into his chest repeatedly, yelling his name with each exertion of force. It was no use.

Nicholas Piberious Wilde was dead.

The thought popped into her head and it nearly knocked her to the ground. Her heart was beating faster and harder than ever before, and she felt out of breath and light headed. She shook him violently, desperately hoping that he was just playing a horrible trick on her. As much of a bad joke as that would be, anything would be better than this situation right now.

"Nick! Please wake up! You can't leave me!" she cried. Her heart felt like it had shattered in her chest, and each breath brought upon a stinging pain. The blood had drained from her face and she felt very faint. The sickness in her body and the sickness in her soul were now one in the same. There were dark lines going down her cheeks from the river of tears. Judy used all of her strength to pull Nick off of the couch and onto the floor. She kneeled by his side and pressed down on his chest repeatedly. She counted the compressions out loud and stopped when she got to thirty. She held an ear over Nick's muzzle, listening for the faintest of breaths.

Nothing.

Judy pressed her lips against his and blew in the biggest breath she could muster. His chest rose up a little and she went back to compressions, tears staining his shirt with each press of her paws. Judy realised that there was no hope for him. His body was cold all over, meaning that he had died in the middle of the night. Judy stood up and looked around the apartment, her head spinning from the situation she was in. Her legs grew weak as the emotional burden weighed down upon her entire body, bringing her to her knees.

Heavy, heartfelt, and hopeless sobs filled the room in which she was. The day had come. The day that she feared most had finally arrived. Judy fell to the side onto the carpet and put her paws over her eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. She stayed on the floor for what seemed like ages.

And then she opened her eyes.

* * *

Judy shot awake from her nightmare, panting heavily in a cold sweat. Her eyes were wide with fear, the memories from the bad dream still fresh in her mind. She turned her head side to side, observing the familiar surrounding of her apartment. At some point, Nick had woken up and left because she was laying on the armrest of the couch. Judy's ears moved towards the sound of running water. She came down from the couch and looked around the corner, seeing small clouds of steam seeping through the slightly open bathroom door.

It was around seven thirty, about the time when the sun shone through the door to the balcony. Golden rays filled the living room, giving the space a soft yellow-orange glow.

Judy's nose twitched as she caught the scent of coffee coming from the kitchen. She entered the space, hearing the gurgling of the coffee maker spitting the steamy black liquid into the pot below.

The sound of running water disappeared from the air and soon the sound of the shower curtain being drawn found her ears. The next sound was a scream of terror and a loud thud that shook the floor of the apartment. Judy's ears shot up and moved towards the sound. She quickly made her way to the bathroom and slowly pushed open the door.

Judy's eyes met with the wet, naked fox's eyes, who was laying on the floor. He looked up at her with a crooked grin plastered on his muzzle.

"How's the weather up there, Carrots?" Nick said.

"Oh, Nick! What happened?" Judy asked while kneeling down to help the reynard up. He got to his knees and grabbed his towel, covering up his body. He sat down on the wall of the tub.

"I was just getting out of the shower, but then my legs decided not to work properly for a few seconds. I swear it'd be better to cut them off!" he replied sarcastically. Judy laughed at his explanation. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"It could have been better." she said. The events of the nightmare were fuzzy now, but the fear that came from it still lingered. "Did you sleep on the couch all night?"

"Until about 3 A.M. You woke me up when you started saying weird things in your sleep. Not the most pleasant thing to wake up to if you ask me."

"What was I saying?" Judy cursed at herself for asking such a dumb question.

"You said something about wanting me to wake up. Then you started swinging your arms around. Nearly hit me where it hurts the most." Nick chuckled.

"I think I know why." Judy said. She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to tell Nick about the dream, but she figured that Nick would do whatever it took to take her mind off of it. "I had a dream last night where I woke up and you were dead. I kept hitting your chest with my fists and screaming at you to wake up. But it's weird, though, I woke up and it felt so real. I'm still a bit shaken from it." Nick looked sympathetically at the doe.

"Judy, you know that you have nothing to fear. I don't want you to be afraid of your dreams. Don't worry about the future. It distracts from the now." he said.

"I know. I just thought you should know about it." Nick looked at Judy with a devious glare.

"You know what mom always did when I had a bad dream?"

"What?"

"She would give me a big hug until I felt better." the towelled fox pulled Judy into a wet and caring hug, soaking the front of her as she struggled to break free from his grasp. Judy looked down herself, seeing that he had completely soaked her shirt.

"You jerk!" Judy yelled, playfully punching Nick in his arm. "I think I've had enough of being soaking wet with my clothes on for a while!"

"You know you love me." Nick replied.

"Do you know that?" Judy moved forward and placed a kiss on Nick's cheek. "Yes. Yes I do. Now hurry up and get dressed so I can shower." she commanded.

"Ok, you're the boss." Nick replied as Judy exited the bathroom. She went out to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the dining room table. Judy put the cup up to her mouth and lightly sipped the hot coffee, feeling the warmth in her throat as she swallowed. Judy sighed deeply and leaned back into the chair.

The door to the bathroom opened up once again and Nick strode into their room. Judy heard the door to their room close and she got up from the table. She walked into the bathroom, which was still a little steamy from Nick's shower, and she shut the door. She stripped off her damp clothes and got into the shower. Turning the knobs, she felt the warm water fall upon her body. Her tense muscles relaxed as she lathered shampoo all over her fur and rinsed it off. She turned the knobs and the stream of water ceased. She moved the curtain and got out of the shower, being careful not to trip over the wall of the tub. She pulled a towel off of the hooks on the wall and dried her fur.

Walking out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, she held the towel around her. Nick had left the room by the time she entered and she opened the closet. Judy picked out some comfortable clothes, a monochrome shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Judy noticed that some of the boxes in the closet had been moved around. She wondered why they would be moved, but she shook off the thoughts and changed into her clothes for the day.

Judy walked out into the living room and saw Nick was sitting on the couch, looking through a photo album. Judy walked over by Nick and hopped up onto the couch, scooting close to him. The only photo on the certain page that Nick was looking at was a picture that had been taken probably forty years ago, and was black and white. Two young foxes were sitting next to each other on an old couch and staring lovingly into their eyes. One of the foxes Judy recognised as a younger Veronica Wilde.

"This is the only picture I have of him." Nick said quietly. Judy looked at Nick, realising that the other fox in the picture was Nick's father, whom he never knew. "Mom always said that there were two things that he loved more than anything. His family, and his job. He was an entrepreneur, owned his own insurance company." Judy placed a paw on Nick's shoulder.

"He looks so nice." Judy said. "I bet he would be very proud of you."

"According to Mom, he was the most selfless mammal she'd ever met. He was all about helping others, in his own way, making the world a better place."

"Well, I think we would have gotten along pretty well." Judy looked some more at the photo album, noticing something curious about it's contents. "What other pictures are in here?" Judy asked. Nick flipped through the pages of the photo album. Every page was completely empty except for the first page.

"I originally planned to fill this with pictures of us, pictures of our kits, our family..." This new information sent a wave of shock throughout Judy's body. She hadn't known how Nick felt about expanding their family. He'd never spoken about it openly before.

"Nick, you know that we couldn't have kits. It's not possible." she said. Nick looked solemnly down at Judy.

"I know. After we got together, I knew that I wanted to marry you, start a family with you, but there was only one way to do that. So I got thinking about it, and I realised that I really wanted to adopt." Nick said. Judy almost started crying as he said this.

"Nick, how come you never said anything about that before?"

"I don't know. I guess I never thought about it seriously until after we found out about… me. I guess it's too late now, isn't it?" Judy looked passionately into Nick's eyes and he returned the gaze. She tried and tried, but she couldn't find the right words to say. Nick shifted his gaze to the photo album and closed it, setting it down on the floor. His discomfort was visible in his eyes, the way his ears were splayed out behind him, the way his tail stayed completely still behind him. He'd become as readable as Judy when she first moved to Zootopia.

"So… when was that doctor going to be here?" Nick asked, quickly trying to change the subject. He could tell by the way Judy was looking at him that she was getting upset. That was one thing that he'd always told himself to do, to not make Judy upset or angry. Always keep her happy as much as he could.

"I don't know. Dr. Venetti never said anything about a time, just that he'd send someone here today." Judy said.

"Well, then I guess we have a lot of time to kill, and all day to do it." Nick said. "How about some tv, Carrots?"

"I guess. I mean, what else have we got to do?" Judy said as she shrugged. Nick smirked as ideas popped into his head.

"Oh I could think of many things that _we_ could do." Nick said, wiggling his eyebrows. Judy put on a disgusted look even though she was laughing inside. She gave Nick a powerful punch in the arm.

"Do you think of anything else!?"

"So does that mean you didn't enjoy our alone time yesterday, because that's the vibe I'm getting here."

"I never said I didn't…" Judy said sheepishly.

"That's my fluff-butt. Now let's relax." Nick said, leaning back into the couch and turning on the tv. Judy scooted closer to Nick and leaned against his side, a position that she had been very familiar with over the past few days, and one that she would eventually need to learn to forget.

They sat on the couch watching tv in each other's embrace for a couple of hours before Dr. Venetti called them, mentioning that there would be a doctor arriving at their apartment at around ten thirty. Seeing that that would be coming in about a half an hour, they prepared themselves for the visit… by staying on the couch watching cheesy 90's sitcoms and waiting for a knock on the door.

"Do you think Joey ever get's tired of being such a ladies-mammal?" Judy asked. Nick pondered the question for a second, rubbing his paw on his chin.

"I don't know, but I think it's funny how Ross doesn't seem to care about how he was hitting on Monica. I know that if a random mammal was hitting on my sister, I wouldn't be standing idly by."

"You don't have a sister, and I think a better question would actually be why this show makes me feel so old?"

"It's probably because it started in 1994 and ended in 2004. It's been over for 15 years now, and I remember watching it in high school." Nick said, focussing his attention back onto the show.

"And those clothes…" Judy shuddered at the sight. "It's so cringe-worthy." Judy said with a grimace.

"Agreed." Nick stated, keeping his attention towards the screen.

"And yet we still love it." Judy said. As they intently watched the show, Judy nearly didn't hear the knock on the door. Only after nearly a minute of knocking did Judy's ears catch the sound. They went up and moved towards the door and she quickly got up from the couch. "I think that's our cue to stop for now." she said as she walked to the front door. Nick turned off the tv and walked to the door with her.

Judy opened the door, revealing a jackal holding a case of some sort and wearing a white coat and round glasses.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Olatunji. You must be Nick and Judy." he said in a very deep voice.

"That'd be us." Nick said, shaking the jackal's paw. Dr. Olatunji walked into their apartment and Judy closed the door behind him.

"Now, this should only take a few minutes, as I just need to do a quick physical evaluation. If everything is as Dr. Venetti says, then there should be no need for me to come back at all." the jackal said. The three mammals walked into the living room where Dr. Olatunji set his case on the couch and opened it up, revealing all kinds of medical equipment. Judy took a seat on the opposite couch and observed the doctor do his work.

* * *

A few minutes quickly turned into nearly an hour, thanks to Nick's overly-talkative personality for the day. After Dr. Olatunji was finished with the physical evaluation, Nick began with one question, which was followed by another and another and another. Judy kept on giving Nick a stern glare, which he would proceed to ignore until he felt her gaze leave, only to come back after another few minutes.

Just before they finally finished, Judy received a text on her phone from Veronica, saying that Nick wasn't answering his phone and that she was going to be over in a few minutes. After receiving the message, she quickly made sure that Nick knew it was time to cut the dialogue.

They showed Dr. Olatunji to the door and gave him their goodbyes and thanks. As the jackal turned the corner to the stairwell, Veronica's form appeared from the same place and they waited for the vixen to make it to the door. They greeted Nick's mother as she walked inside.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there yesterday at the hospital. I couldn't get the day off from work." the vixen said.

"Oh, that's fine, Mom. You know that Judy is plenty capable of taking care of me." Nick mentioned. Judy bumped Nick with her hips, which made Nick glare down at her for a second.

"Oh, I know that, Nicky. I just wanted to be there for you. I am your mother after all."

"Like I said. It's no big deal." Nick said. "Why don't we sit down?" The three mammals moved from the entryway and into the living room, where Judy and Nick took a seat in their usual spot on the couch and Veronica sat on the smaller couch on the other side of the room.

"So, what did you two do yesterday after you got home?"

"Oh, we got a surprise visit from my parents, who proceeded to kick us out of the place while they cleaned everything. Nick and I went to Manolin Park and had a picnic, until we got rained on." Judy said with a chuckle. Veronica's eyes widened as she heard the story of what happened.

"You got rained on?! How did you manage to let that happen?"

"Well, we ended up falling asleep in the park, and when I woke up, it was just about to start pouring. We're lucky it didn't rain on us while we were sleeping." Nick said. Veronica couldn't help but laugh at the couple's misfortune.

"So then we ran home with our blanket over our heads which did little to shield us from the drenching downpour. You should have seen the look on my mother's face when she saw the two of us at the front door, dripping wet."

"I'll bet she was a bit shocked."

"Yeah, she went into 'mom mode' after we got in, telling us to change out of our wet clothes so we didn't catch a cold, dry our fur, put our wet clothes into a basket for washing, all that stuff that moms do." Judy said.

"Well, I probably would have done the same." Veronica replied with a smile. "Are you two doing anything today?" she asked. Both Judy and Nick shrugged their shoulders.

"We have nothing important to do except mindlessly watch tv all day." Nick said with a sigh. Veronica had a lightbulb appear over her head and her face lit up.

"Judy, are your parents still in town?"

"Yeah. They were going to stop by again today. Why do you ask?" Judy questioned.

"Well, why don't we have dinner together? We can go someplace nice and have a good time. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Judy hoped that her parents would be fine with the idea because she really liked the idea herself.

"I'll have to find out when they're stopping by. We could go to Ray's Tied House or Minerva's. Either one would be fine with me. How about you, Nick?" Judy asked, turning her gaze to the reynard.

"I don't see why not. It sounds like a hoot." he stated, standing up slowly from the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I have some… er… important business to attend to." Nick said as he walked down the hallway and into the bathroom. Now that he was out of earshot, Veronica could talk openly with Judy. There was an awkward silence in the room for a few seconds before Veronica spoke.

"He's looking really good, but then again, you seem to have _that_ look in your eyes." she said. Judy put on a bemused expression.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I saw him Wednesday night, after he woke up, I could tell that something happened between the two of you."

"How so?" Judy asked.

"He told me about your little visit." Veronica said. Judy mouthed an 'oooh'. "You've fallen in love all over again. I can see it in the way you look at him, that you want him more than ever now. I've said this about myself for years, Judy, but I'm a very perceptive vixen. I know exactly what's going on here." Veronica gave Judy a devious smile. "But between you and me, you might want to put an air freshener in that room of your's. I can smell what happened yesterday…" Judy's blush was so deep that it was visible on her cheeks.

"What can I say, he's irresistible…" Judy said, looking down at the floor and rubbing her head with a paw. Veronica chuckled a little at Judy's embarrassment.

"And believe me when I say I'm glad he has a mammal like you."

"Aww, thanks. I don't deserve that…" Judy said modestly.

"No, Judy, you really do deserve it. I can see it, and I'm sure you can too, that he's hiding a lot of pain. He's hurting a lot physically, and he'll need someone as strong-willed as you to help him out. But I'll still be around to give you all the assistance you need. All you have to do is ask."

The door to the bathroom opened and Nick slowly walked out and into the living room, using the wall as a crutch. Nick managed his way to the couch and sat down hard, panting slightly as he rested into the seat.

"I feel… like garbage." he panted.

"Not sleep well?" Veronica asked.

"No I slept fine. I think I just did way too much yesterday in regards to physical activity. I feel like I just ran a marathon!" he exclaimed.

While Nick and his mother conversed, Judy tuned them out and texted her parents, asking when they would be stopping by the apartment. A few seconds later the reply came, telling Judy that they would be there around 3 o'clock.

 **Judy: What do you think about going out tonight?**

 **Mom & Dad: Where? With who?**

 **Judy: Nick and his mother. We have a few places in mind.**

It was awhile before the next response.

 **Mom & Dad: Whats the plan?**

 **Judy: How about you come to our place around 5? Wear nice clothes if possible.**

 **Mom & Dad: No problem. See you 5.**

Judy looked at the last message and smiled. She looked up and put her phone in her pocket.

"... plus I haven't been there in years." Nick finished saying. Judy interrupted their conversation.

"My parents are going to be here at 5 o'clock. Have we decided where to go?" the doe asked.

"We were actually just talking about that. I think Minerva's would be great." Nick said.

"Well it's just past noon." Judy said while taking her phone out to check the time. "I think we should get a reservation probably for six, just in case they're busy tonight." Judy said.

"I can go ahead and make that reservation for you." Veronica said. "You said six?"

"Yeah, six would be perfect." Judy nodded. She kept getting a strange feeling about tonight, like something bad was going to happen. Maybe it was just because this whole plan was pretty rushed.

Scratch that.

It wasn't just today that had been rushed, but the last month had been incredibly rushed and unplanned. Judy reminisced on her life before the incident with Nick and how boring and mundane it seemed to her now. So much had happened from the moment Nick collapsed onto the pavement under his feet that Judy rarely had the time to think clearly.

The thought came to her, that it was good for her to be on leave. Bogo had made it quite clear that if she didn't take the time off, it would bring about hoards of unnecessary stress. Sure, most of her time since then had been filled with long, boring, unending days with a big side helping of nothing to do, but she was finally given that breathing room that she so desperately needed. A family gathering of the mammals she held dearest?

Definitely something to take her mind off of the harsh reality of life for a second.

But the fear that she felt welling deep inside her was growing larger and larger with each passing day. Soon, that fear would find it's way to the surface and all hell would break loose. 'Please don't let that happen for a long time…' Judy thought. 'Hopefully…' That was one thing that she had in spades.

Hope. Hope for the future.

Shortly after confirming the time and location of this spur of the moment get-together, Veronica left their apartment so she could do a few things before this evening. Needing a way to quickly pass the time, Nick and Judy reluctantly resorted back to the television. However, that didn't last long with Nick's boredom growing to an impossible size.

"Carrots, as much as I enjoy frying my brains watching this stuff with you, I think we can find something a little more... engaging." he said.

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

"I might have to blow the dust off of them, but I have a stash of board games in the closet." Nick replied. The thought of doing something semi-productive was enticing to Judy.

"Let's see what you got." Judy said. The pair walked into their bedroom and Nick opened up the closet. He dug around inside for a moment before pulling out a large plastic tote. He removed the lid from the tote and revealed, just as Nick figured, a lot of dust. But if she squinted, Judy could see several boxed up board games.

"Jackpot…" Judy said, eyeing the tote and it's dusty contents. All of her favorites from her childhood were in there. Memories of playing board games with her litter-mates on rainy days back in Bunnyburrow flooded her mind.

"Carrots, I gotta tell you, I think you're gonna have a hard time beating me." Nick said smugly. Judy decided to have a little fun with Nick's confidence.

"I'm sure I will, but I'll give it my best shot. But still..." Judy looked into Nick's eyes with a fire and spoke with an utmost sense of competition.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

"Pawtzee!" Judy squealed, throwing her fists into the air as she wiggled with excitement. Nick slapped a paw over his face and he grumbled in disappointment.

"How many is that _this_ game, Carrots?" he said with frustration.

"That'd be three." Judy said whilst shoving her paw into Nick's face, indicating with three fingers. "And how many have you gotten since the first game?" Judy teased. Nick let out a sigh before replying.

"Zero." Nick mumbled. "I don't get it. I've always been the best at this game!" Nick pouted, throwing his paws out in front of him. "I thought you'd never played this game before?" Judy put on a sly grin, one that she had perfected from being around Nick so much.

"I may have been the Hopps Family Pawtzee Champion." Judy said. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart." She said, cocking her hip to the side, her ears flopping over as she leaned her head. Nick's already crestfallen face turned into near anger as she had clearly just hustled him good. All he could think of was Finnick laughing at him after Judy had gotten him all those years ago. _That_ memory was still fresh in his mind.

"Don't get your tail in a twist. It's only a game." she said. Judy looked over at the clock. "Plus, it's about time to get ready for tonight." Judy said. She danced down the hallway and right before she got into the bathroom, she shouted from the hall. "Loser has to clean up!"

Nick decided not to protest and quickly gathered everything inside the box for the game. Walking into the bedroom, Nick set the box on the desk and opened the closet, deciding on what he would wear. In all his years of living in Zootopia, he'd only been to the restaurant once or twice. He knew it to be a fancy place, but not the kind of fancy where you were required to wear a suit that was equal in value to Nick's yearly salary. Nick decided on a pair of khakis that he saved for special occasions and a red and black button-up shirt.

Satisfied with his choice, Nick walked back out into the living room, sitting down on the couch. He vaguely heard Judy exit the bathroom and go straight to the bedroom. He sat for a few moments before he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his pocket, Nick saw a text from his mother saying that she would be at their apartment in about ten minutes. He quickly replied with an 'ok' and put the phone back in his pocket. He waited patiently for his mother to arrive when Judy walked out from the bedroom. Nick eyed the rabbit, and she came up to the couch and sat next to him.

Judy had on a pair of light-blue jeans and a pink plaid button-up shirt. Gracing her neck was the amethyst necklace that Nick had bought her what seemed like ages ago, yet it hadn't even been a year.

"Haven't seen you wear that in a while." Nick said, touching the sterling silver chain of the jewelry.

"I decided it would look better on me than in it's box, the place it's been for the last two months." Judy replied.

"Well it looks great on you. _You_ look great."

"Right back at ya. You actually picked decent looking clothes for once." Judy teased. Nick cringed overly dramatically.

"That hurts, Carrots." Nick said. Judy smiled, crossed her arms and shook her head. The way they playfully argued at a nearly constant rate amused her. It was what made them go together so well. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had an actual argument with Nick; one where they actually fought with each other. Her mind brought her back to the moments following her first and only press conference. She had said some pretty dim-witted things up there, and it nearly caused the entire city to eat itself alive. She had felt a barrage of pain because of what she helped do to the city. But what hurt her the most was how Nick lashed out at her afterwards. It was something she would never forget. Judy's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Nick's ears perked up at the sound and he looked up from his phone.

"Tis some visitor, tapping at my chamber door." he said.

"Please say that phrase nevermore." Judy replied as they got up simultaneously.

"Quoth the bun-bun." Nick said, carefully eyeing her from behind him with a sly grin. A distasteful grimace found it's way onto Judy's face as she gave him a swift punch to the arm from behind. The grin in Nick's face quickly turned into a look of suppressed agony.

"Ahhh… right in the funny bone, Carrots." Nick complained while rubbing his now numb left arm.

"Oh! Sorry!" she squealed. They came to a stop in front of the door and Nick opened it up. On the other side was Veronica who had on a wonderful smile.

"Ready to go?" she asked in an excited manner.

"Yep!' Judy said. "My parents should be here any minute. They'll be driving everyone so we can wait for them downstairs." The door was shut and locked behind them and they descended the few flights of stairs to the front foyer of the apartment building. They stood in the small space, casually talking while they waited. A brand new black SUV pulled up to the apartment and a window rolled down, revealing Stu and Bonnie Hopps. A look of awe and bewilderment was on Nick's muzzle as he stared at the vehicle. He had expected a farm truck or something like that to grace their presence, but instead it was one of the most luxurious SUV's on the market today.

The three mammals walked out of the apartment building and into the chilly evening air. They hurried to the massive vehicle and they climbed in. Judy went in between the two foxes, Veronica on her left and Nick on her right. Nick was completely dumbfounded by the interior of the vehicle. He was sitting in probably the most comfortable seat ever, the build quality was impressive and his favorite feature was the touch screen that was situated in front of Judy's seat. He played around with the screen until he saw the greatest feature to ever be fitted to a vehicle: heated and ventilated rear seats.

"This is crazy, Carrots." Nick said quietly to Judy. She had been watching his reaction to her parents car since they arrived.

"I'm guessing you didn't expect this from my stereotypical carrot-farming parents, huh?" Judy replied.

"Not in the slightest. How could they possibly afford this?"

"You'd be surprised by how much money my parents make." Judy replied. "They only use this when they have to travel. It's not like they would take the farm truck to Zootopia, anyways." Bonnie turned around in her seat and looked at the mammals in the back.

"Everyone ready to go?" she asked. Bonnie received nods from the three mammals in the back. She turned back around and typed the address to the restaurant in the infotainment screen in the center console. After she pressed 'enter', a map popped on screen, a large red dot showing their exact location and a red trail going in front of them showing where to go.

The vehicle lurched forward and pushed everyone back in their seats a little bit. 'God please let this go smoothly…' Judy thought to herself.

Those bad feelings were beginning to return.

* * *

Much to Judy's surprise, the dinner was an extraordinary success. Everyone got along and Judy's parents, specifically her father, had refrained from any potentially specist comments. Despite a few close calls, there were no major issues.

Throughout the entire dinner, Judy had an ear turned towards her parents. Nick took notice of how every time her parents spoke, she would stop whatever she was doing and listen intently to them. Luckily after her parents carried on a nice conversation with Veronica she let up quite a bit. Judy's parents really got to know Veronica and who she was as a mammal. They hadn't had the chance to _really_ get to know her very well at the wedding, so this was excellent progress for them.

The doe was happy for the success, but perhaps calling it a success would be an understatement. After they exited the place, Judy's father of all mammals was the one to suggest that they do this again sometime.

One of the highlights of the night happened near the end of the evening. Nick was feeling a bit nauseous after eating too much and was going to get up to go to the restroom, just in case he didn't want his pasta anymore. In his nauseous daze, Nick failed to see the kudu waitress carrying a tray of beverages walking directly behind him. Nick pushed away from the table and hit the waitress, sending waters, sodas, and bottles of brew crashing to the ground. Nick instantly snapped out of his daze upon hearing the sound of breaking glass. He helped the waitress up and quickly slipped her a 50 while apologizing. After that whole ordeal, Nick quickly walked away from the scene towards the restroom with his tail between his legs.

Overall the evening had gone just as Judy had hoped. Those strange feelings she had gotten must have just been her nerves getting the better of her. It was still in her mind that something bad would happen and the outcome would be catastrophic.

But nothing manifested itself to her.

They left the restaurant and drove back to the apartment, which took about 45 minutes one way. Judy, Nick and Veronica gave their goodbyes to Judy's parents, who were leaving for Bunnyburrow early that next morning. They said farewells to Veronica and sent her on her merry way back to her apartment. The fox and the rabbit walked up to the apartment, Nick using the railing more that he had before. Exhausted from the whole day, Judy went straight into the bedroom and layed in bed. Shortly after she climbed in, Nick followed her and layed on his designated side of the bed. The lights went out and within minutes, both could be heard lightly snoring.

* * *

 **(A/N: Now be honest with me, I got you with that dream sequence, didn't I? If I did, let me know with a review just so that I can say I hustled you!**

 **What about the new info about Nick wanting to adopt kits? It sure took Judy by surprise. Let me know what you think about that with a review!**

 **I've never been the best at writing fluff because I like to have actual plot to be working with. If you thought it was great, go ahead and let me know with those oh so coveted reviews. I love reading them all so please give me some reading material! If anything interested you or you want some clarification on a part that confused you, go ahead and leave a review and I'll be sure to get back to you! If you haven't yet, please please please please hit the follow and favorite buttons.**

 **As I said before, things are about to get serious... dun dun duuuuun! So you better watch out for the next chapter! Anyways, thank you so much for reading and being there to support me all the way. Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and left reviews. Keep doing that and I'll be sure to respond to as many of you as I can! Ciao! -Ande883**


	14. Days Gone By: Part I

_Judy sat quietly on a chair, her folded paws resting in her lap. She was quiet because she could not speak. She had tried to for the last three hours, but her throat was dry and each word felt like thousands of tiny little needles pricking her esophagus._

 _Just to her right was Nick's frail body. She didn't want to look at him, she didn't want to stare. She wasn't in a place to be causing him any more pain. She avoided looking at him for fear that he would wake up and see just how much of a mess she'd become over the past few days._

 _A tear here, a quiet sob there, the only other sounds coming from the room were the gentle hum of the small tower fan in the corner, and Nick's quiet and shallow breaths. The spare bedroom had become a battleground between mental stability and full-blown insanity for the rabbit. She had been on each side of that battle, each passing day bringing about new challenges and developments that could cause her to go to the other side in the blink of an eye._

 _Mental stability. She hadn't gone crazy yet. But it was getting to that point. Constant stress and the inevitable was eating away at her sanity, bit by bit. She didn't think she was crazy, at least. 'I know what crazy mammals look and act like.' she told herself. 'And I am certainly not one of them…'_

 _Full-blown insanity. The thought of it left a ringing in her ears and a thumping in her head only the worst of headaches could give her. What could all of this mean? Sure, she had gone through a lot over the last three days, and things were only going to get worse. But she couldn't go crazy over something like this, right? RIGHT!?_

 _She took a deep breath. 'Calm yourself, Jude. You are sane. You are in your right mind. You just have a lot on your plate. Yeah, a lot on your overweight elephant sized plate.' Judy pulled out her phone to check the time._

' _7:47 A.M.' she read to herself. 'December 15th, 2019.' Her mind was flooded with thoughts of the last three days. Nick's condition had taken a turn for the worse that last Friday. Just a week prior, he'd been up and walking like normal, talking like never before. It was amazing just how quickly cancer could bite you in the ass and bring you down with the ship._

 _The last three days. Friday, Saturday, and now today, Sunday. Friday, the last day Judy had the energy and the willpower to get up and shower. The last day she had seen Nick do even an ounce of walking. The last day she had heard his voice like it usually was._

 _Friday… Friday..._

* * *

 _Friday, December 13th, 2019_

"Juuuudyyyyy!" the sing-song voice echoed in her mind. One eye popped open, fiery rage threatening to burn down the apartment and everyone in it. She stayed still and did not dare move from her comfortable spot on the couch, hoping that he would stay quiet so she could continue her nap.

"Carrooootsss!" he said. The next eye flew open. Judy was laying down on the couch, the television going in the background with the sound turned way down. There was no way that he had just woken her up from her nap. She had given him specific instructions to…

"Judith Laverne Wilde-Hopps. Anybody home?"

That about does it. The full name crossed the line.

Judy got off of the couch and stormed halfway down the hall, turning right when she got to the door of the spare bedroom. Pushing the partially ajar obstruction away from her, slamming it into the wall, luckily being stopped by the doorstop, she walked up to the bed and gave Nick a stare that could go through a 6 inch wall of lead.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were asleep." he joked. Judy's foot began thumping on the floor hard and fast.

"That is the whole point of a nap, Mr. Wilde! I told you I wanted at least an hour to get some shut eye, ya goof!" Judy reminded him.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm just so bored! I've been laying in bed all day for the last two days now and I just want to get up and do something!" Nick protested. Judy looked sympathetically at Nick. She could tell that he missed being able to go places with Judy, even if it was just to the grocery store or any other mundane task. His condition was taking it's toll and now he wasn't able to walk too well. Dr. Venetti had told Judy to keep him in bed as much as possible and to only let him walk about the apartment, but even that was a struggle.

"Nick, you know that we can't go anywhere. I have to help you walk even just around the apartment now." she said. Nick nodded.

"I know, Judy. It's just, could you stay in here for a little while? I'm getting a bit lonely." Nick did his best pouty face for Judy. The doe looked at the sad eyes and the frown plastered on his muzzle.

"How can I say no to that face!" she said. Nick's face lit up with excitement and he did a fist-pump. Judy climbed into the bed and layed next to the fox. She snuggled up to his chest, closing her eyes and he wrapped one of his arms around her. Nick exhaled and relaxed back into the bed.

"Hey Judy…"

"Yeah, Slick?"

"Can you get the other tv in here? I kinda want to watch some movies later." Nick said. Judy's closed eyes popped open once more. They had an older television sitting in one of the closets that they used before they got a new one. It was one that had a massive box attached to the back and it was probably from the 90's. Nick had it in his apartment when they merged together and got their own place.

"Maybe later. Let's just stay right here for now." Judy said while snuggling closer. She let out a yawn and stretched her arms and closed her eyes once more. She began to feel the gentle hug of sleep embrace her, but Nick interrupted her rest again.

"Hey, Carrots."

"What, Nick?"

"I love you." Judy giggled a little bit.

"I love you too. Now can we please go back to sleep?" she said.

"I never was asleep. Nor do I plan to be." he replied. Judy opened her eyes reluctantly and looked at Nick, who had on a crooked grin.

"No matter how much I love being in snuggle mode with you, I cannot sleep if you're not going to, so I'm going back out to the couch. Just holler if you need anything." Judy said. She was getting off of the bed when a loud noise made her nearly jump through the roof.

"Carrots!" Nick yelled right in Judy's ears. She gave him a dirty look, and he returned a sheepish gaze to the furious doe.

"What? You said holler if I needed anything." he said while raising his paws. "Anyways. I can't have a kiss before you leave for the couch? I might not see you for a whole hour!"

"You are insufferable." Judy said as she climbed back onto the bed and gave Nick a little kiss on the lips. "But that's why I love you." she said after moving away from the kiss. Judy walked back out to the living room and layed back down onto the couch.

She stared at the ceiling, thoughts running through her mind like crazy. Why did this have to be happening to her? She was just a simple bunny from the country who wanted to make the world a better place. She never imagined having to deal with something of this nature. Sure she had seen plenty of relatives taken away from her by cancer, but none of them were ever this close.

The stress of the moment was beginning to get the better of her, and tears started forming in her violet orbs.

'Hang on a minute, Jude. You need to get a hold of yourself.' she thought. 'Don't let Nick see what's getting to you.' She wiped her eyes on the backs of her paws and got comfortable on the couch. It was amazing how the stress she had endured over the last week affected her, as she was asleep within minutes.

* * *

The feeling of sleep lifted off of her body like that of a massive weight. Her eyes slowly revealed her living room and the dimness that accompanied the space from the late afternoon light. Her whole body felt tense and sore like she had just ran twenty miles without a break. She stretched her arms and legs, the tenseness leaving her limbs as she relaxed her muscles.

A rumble interrupted her groggy post-nap thoughts. A paw made it's way down to her stomach as another rumble emanated from deep in her gut. She hadn't eaten since very early in the morning, and it was high time for some dinner. Judy's ears perked up when she sat up on the couch and there was a certain twinkle in her eyes after having a much needed nap.

Her eyes darted to the small digital clock by the television, and she saw the time as 5:32. Judy turned her head towards the kitchen and she started to her destination.

Inside the kitchen, Judy pulled out the simplest meal she could find. Instant mashed potatoes, minute rice, and a can of green beans. About the easiest things to make considering Judy's less-than-impressive cooking abilities. To top everything off, however, she would put a butter-garlic sauce that she had learned to make from her parents, merely involving a stick of butter and plenty of garlic salt. She got to work preparing the simple dinner, making sure to prepare a plate for Nick.

"Hopefully he's hungry…" Judy said quietly while scooping a generous helping of potatoes and rice onto his plate. She gave him a small scoop of the beans, knowing that they weren't his favorite, and started towards the spare room.

Dr. Venetti had told Judy that it would be normal for him to not have the urge to eat anything, but if it got too long between proper meals, there could be an issue. It had occurred to her that this would eventually happen, as one of her uncles who died of cancer several years ago hadn't eaten solid food for nearly twelve days before he died. It wasn't something she had forgotten, seeing him mere days before his death. His frail body looked to be composed of only skin and bones. He was terribly skinny and could barely move on his own. His face showed signs of immense agony and his eyes communicated great fear.

She was grateful that Nick was still able to speak fairly well and could sort of walk, but she feared that it wouldn't be too long before all of that was gone.

Judy opened the door to Nick's room. The light was off and Nick was sitting up in bed, his earbuds in and staring at his phone, a light smile on his muzzle. Judy tapped on the wall with her fist a few times while looking at his form. Nick's ears drooped down and he looked around the room, trying to figure out where the quiet tapping sound had come from. His eyes found Judy standing at the other end of the room, holding a plate of food. He tapped on the phone screen and removed the earbuds from his ears.

"What's up, Carrots?" he asked, intently staring down the plate.

"I've got some food for you." she said. Nick looked at her for a few seconds before turning away and replying flatly.

"No thanks. Not hungry." he said, looking back at his phone. The words he spoke stabbed Judy's ears. It was just how she had feared this would go.

"Nick, you need to eat." she said almost pleadingly. Nick sighed and looked back at the rabbit.

"As I just said, _I'm. Not. Hungry._ I'll eat when I feel like it." he spat. His response caused Judy to flinch. She was not going to let him get away with this.

"Nick! You haven't had so much as an ounce of solid food since _Wednesday night!_ You need to eat!" she said, hoping that her new found anger would make him desist. She didn't know if it would work, or if it would cause him to get even more furious than he already seemed to be. She really didn't expect the latter.

"Judy, what part of ' _I'm not hungry_ ' don't you understand!? Like I said, I'll eat when I feel like it. Now why don't you go back out in the living room and leave me alone?"

That snarky comment scared Judy. What could have gotten into him? He had been so happy earlier that day, and now he was in a horrible mood with a terrifying attitude. She was determined to find out, but she didn't know what the consequences could be. Judy walked over to the desk and set the plate down. Things were about to get nasty.

" _Nicholas Piberious Wilde!_ Do not take that tone with me!" Judy said with a highly raised voice. This got Nick's attention and he looked at her with a half bewildered, half angry stare. "Dr. Venetti said that you shouldn't go long without any proper meals, so you are going to eat or I am going to have to use force, and trust me when I say you won't like that one bit!" Judy couldn't keep her composure for much longer. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, and much more of this arguing would cause them to fall.

"What does Dr. Venetti know!? It's not like eating is going to make everything better for me! I'm doomed the way it is." The last sentence he mumbled, but Judy still understood what he said. She walked up to the bed and looked straight into Nick's eyes.

"Nick! I thought you promised to not give up hope! You said it yourself that you would fight as hard as you could until the end!" she yelled.

"You still don't get it do ya!? I'm a gonner! Done for! Dead! Stop being such a dumb bunny and get that through your thick skull!" He yelled back. Judy looked back at Nick, genuine fear noticeable in her eyes. She stared at him with a pained expression for a few seconds, unable to find any words to say. Nick's angry facade quickly turned into something like remorse, but Judy couldn't tell because she had already ran out of the room, tears flowing down her face.

"Carrots…?" Nick said. He had finally done the one thing he never wanted to do. He had hurt her. "Judy…?" he yelled. He could hear the jingling of keys and the rustling of Judy's jacket outside the bedroom. Fear set in as he realised what she was doing. Her sobs could be heard over the commotion in the kitchen as she walked over to the door. Nick leaned over the edge of the bed to try and see her.

"Judy! I'm sorry…! Please don't leave!" he yelled. She opened the door and looked back at Nick one last time, dark lines staining her fur below her eyes. She turned around and walked out of the door, slamming it hard and causing the walls to shake.

"No! No! Please Judy! I'm sorry!" Nick yelled. He fell out of the bed and he crawled over to the front door. He grabbed the handle and opened the door just enough to get his head through. Nick looked down the hallway, but she was gone.

She had left.

He had messed up big time. He _did_ break the promise he made Judy, and he broke his most important rule. He let Judy see that the cancer got to him. Nick stared down the hall, tears beginning to flow down his russet cheeks. His sobs echoed throughout the long hallway of the apartment building, his tears staining the concrete floor of the grey corridor. Nick looked up to the door, and using the handle as a paw hold, he pulled himself up off the floor.

He made the perilous journey back into his room by holding the wall and taking very small steps. Each step sent a pain through his whole body, though it wasn't real, physical pain. It was emotional, stinging emotional pain from what he had just done. It was his own fault. He could have just given in, but he didn't. Why? It wasn't like him to be so self-centered.

Nick managed his way back to the bed, barely making it as his legs gave out right at the bedside.

He fell onto the mattress, sinking into the soft pad as his thoughts sank deep into his mind, forever echoing in the dark chamber that contained all his regrets and mistakes.

* * *

The rabbit ran into the ever-increasing dark of the evening, only illuminated by the twilight sun and the street lamps that frequented the sidewalk. She had been running aimlessly for the last half an hour, hoping that she would find something to ease the pain in her heart.

It then occurred to her exactly where about she was. The surroundings were familiar, yet they seemed to be so different from how she remembered them. It had been a while since she'd ventured to the place she had in mind, but it was the only place she knew she could go.

The doe ran down the sidewalk, looking at the apartment numbers until she saw the building labeled '2554'. She ran up the concrete stairs and into the main foyer. She stopped for a second, observing the stairs and then she ran up them as fast as possible. Reaching the fourth floor, she turned left down the hallway, looking at the numbers on the doors.

"404. That's it." she said to herself quietly. She slowed down and came to a halt before the door. Slowly approaching the door, she held her paw up, but hesitated to knock. A couple tears fell onto her cheeks, and she knocked on the door. She waited a few moments before she heard the unlatching of a chain lock, a deadbolt, and the knob lock before the door opened up.

The vixen stood over Judy and she looked to the sides before looking down, seeing the bawling doe standing before her. A look of shock found it's way onto Veronica's face as she stared at Judy.

"Judy! What's going on?" she asked.

"Nick… he.. yel.. he…" Judy said amongst her sobs. Veronica looked sympathetically at her and brought her into a hug.

"Listen, shhh, just calm down now. Everything's ok, baby. You're alright." she said in a very motherly tone. Judy's sobs quickly dissipated and soon there was nothing but coos coming from the doe.

"Now, come on in and tell me what's bothering you. I'm sure I can be of some help." Veronica said. The two walked into her apartment and Judy plopped down on the floor, using the couch as a back rest. Veronica sat next to her and brought an arm around her shoulder.

"What's happened?" she said.

"It's Nick. He's different." Judy said sniffing and wiping away tears.

"What do you mean?"

"I made him some food, but he told me that he wasn't hungry, and then I told him that he needs to eat because he hasn't since Wednesday night and…"

"Woah, woah, slow down there, girl. I think I know what's happened. You two got in an argument, didn't you?" Judy did not speak, but she nodded.

"It was more than just an argument. He literally insulted me! He called me a… a…" Judy didn't want to say what was next.

"Called you a what?" Judy leaned forward and whispered in Veronica's ear. A look of shock and disappointment came to her face. She couldn't believe that her own son would say such a thing.

"And he then proceeded to tell me to get it through my thick skull!" Judy yelled. Veronica put on a look of determination.

"I think I need to go down there and knock some sense into that boy!"

* * *

Nick had given up on the bed. He felt he didn't deserve it because of the way he treated Judy. Had he actually called her a dumb bunny, and meant it? He had, hadn't he? Nick felt like dirt. He hurt Judy badly, badly enough to cause her to leave and completely ignore his apologies. Well, maybe those weren't the most sincere apologies in the world, but he did try. He really was sorry for what he said to her, and all because she wanted to help him. 'Dumb fox.' he thought. Yeah, he was a completely moronic fox.

He sat on the floor, leaning against the bed and staring at the front door, hoping for it to open soon.

He had run out of tears about ten minutes ago, and they had been constant since Judy ran out on him. That was probably almost an hour ago, maybe longer. He couldn't perceive time right now. All he knew was that he made a grave mistake, and one thought popped into his head.

 _What if she doesn't come back?_

It was a preposterous thought. She wouldn't leave him forever just because of that, it wasn't in Judy's nature. She was all about second-chances.

She would come back. And Nick would tell her how sorry he was.

As timely as possible, the door handle wiggled and turned just as the thought came to his mind.

"Judy?" he said while looking at the door, eagerly waiting for it to open. The door opened slightly and he did his best to try and stand up, bringing the door out of his view. He turned around to use the bed as a crutch.

"Judy!" he said while turning around, only it was not Judy who graced his presence.

"Mom? Wait… Mom! No, please! Don't do this!" he pleaded. Veronica walked towards her son, wielding a rolled up newspaper and a scowl that could rival that of Chief Bogo.

"Don't you ever do that to her ever again! Do you understand me, boy!?" she said while giving Nick good whacks with the paper. "This is not how I raised you, Nicky! You need to learn how to treat a lady! Do you have any idea what she's done for you!?" Judy could hear ow's and oof's from the fox being battered by a newspaper as Veronica continued to shame him.

Judy stood, watching the scene unfold. A light smile appeared on her face after she had seen enough, but apparently Veronica didn't have enough. Judy thought it best to intervene.

"Ok, Veronica I think he's had enough. Ok. Stop! You got him!" she said, grabbing the newspaper from the vixen's paw. She looked at Nick, who was now on the floor again, rubbing the top of his head.

"Judy…" he began. His green eyes showed signs of guilt, remorse, and even self-hatred. "Look. I'm sorry. I treated you like garbage and I said some horrible things to you, all because you wanted to help me. I felt like a complete idiot after you left, because I knew that I hurt you. Can you forgive me?" Judy stared into those eyes and she smiled.

"Of course, Nick. Just make me one promise. Never give up. When things knock you down, get back up again." she said. Nick nodded to her.

"I won't give up, no, I won't give in." he said. Judy started laughing.

"You're quoting Gazelle at a time like this?" she giggled.

"Only if it's helping. It is helping, right?"

"Of course it is." Judy said. She pulled the fox into a hug and helped him up.

* * *

 **(A/N: Intense much? I hope you like this format, where this and the next chapter will be in flashback format with the italicized parts being on a future day.**

 **Finding actual content to write about was tough for this one. I really had to think hard so that I wouldn't be uploading a one thousand word chapter, because I would never do that!**

 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter! It was a toughy to write, especially with that argument scene. I was actually shaking when I wrote it. All reviews are greatly appreciated, and I really like reading them all, so please leave a review telling me how great this chapter was. Or of you hated it, tell me how bad it was, I really don't care!**

 **If you like the story and want more, be sure to hit that follow and favorite button! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope I can get the next one out within a few days. Anyways, this is Ande883 signing out! Kwaheri!**

 **P.S.- that farewell is in Swahili!**


	15. Days Gone By: Part II

**(A/N: Hey guys, it's me again. I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't expect another chapter for a while after this one. Next chapter is a big one, so I want to make sure that it is as good as it possibly can be before I post it. I'll be taking my sweet old time with Chapter 16, so give me at least two weeks with it. Sorry :(**

* * *

 _Judy came out of her thought-induced trance. She looked over to her right, seeing Nick stir slightly in his sleep. She looked at the fox, his chest rising only slightly with each shallow and quick breath. Judy remained in her chair, paws still folded in her lap. Her eyes looked to the analog clock hanging on the wall._

' _11:13…' she thought. That couldn't be right. Had she really been thinking about Friday for the last three and a half hours? And to the minute at that. That clock could be off, so she pulled out her phone, but it also displayed the time as 11:13. Judy put her phone back into her pocket and she sighed._

 _It got her thinking, how Nick had changed for the worse since then. He couldn't walk, he could barely speak, and only for a short amount of time before it got too difficult. Hell, he could barely even breathe. He hadn't wanted to sleep for the longest time either. And it all came together to have one massive, horrible effect on his body._

 _She was brought back to how Nick looked later Saturday morning. The way he looked at her, the way he stared, the way he didn't look like himself. It all sent a shudder down Judy's spine. There were two things visible in those petrified green eyes: pain and fear._

 _Judy knew that he hurt all over. Aches and pains stung his limbs and each breath was a struggle._

 _When Nick was awake, he was in constant agony. It made it difficult for Judy to stay by him because she didn't want to see him, or any other mammal for that matter, in such a state of distress. It was better when he was asleep, like he was now. There were no groans of pain, no struggle for air. It was surprising that he was able to sleep as much as he did, judging by how much pain he was in, but then again, he hadn't gotten much over the last three days._

 _Friday, Saturday, and now Sunday. Judy's mind brought her back to Saturday, the last time she had heard Nick's voice at all. Saturday, the last time she saw him awake. Saturday, The last time she would ever know what it was like to have the real Nicholas Wilde next to her._

 _Saturday… Saturday..._

* * *

 _Saturday, December 14th, 2019_

Judy awoke amid the darkness that encompassed her room. She sat up in bed, looking at the dark shapes that surrounded her. Through the one window in the room came the dim white light from the sliver of the moon that made it's way through light cloud cover. Judy reached over to her nightstand by her bed and felt around for her phone. Finally feeling the cool metal backing of the device, she grabbed it and thumbed the power button, illuminating the screen.

Judy squinted her eyes at the brightness of the screen and shielded them with her paw. She looked at the time being displayed by the screen. It was nearly four in the morning, a time when Judy really would much rather be asleep. She wasn't one to wake up much during the night, and whenever she did, something was really messing with her head.

Judy swallowed, feeling the dryness of her mouth and throat in full force. She set her phone back on the nightstand and pulled the covers off of her body, inciting a shiver from the rabbit as the cool air of the room touched her fur.

'I could use a drink…' she thought. Her dry throat and mouth would make it difficult for her to get back to sleep, so a glass of water would be in her best interest. She came down from the bed and slowly made her way to the door, being careful not to stub a toe on anything like Nick had done so often during the night.

She quietly opened the door, and did so slowly, knowing that the door was prone to squeaking when opened too fast. Opening it just enough for her to quietly slip out of the room, she silently made her way to the kitchen. Judy grabbed herself a small glass and filled it with water. She took a slow drink of the cool, clear liquid, instantly feeling the dryness of her throat and mouth dissipating. She let out a quick and quiet sigh of satisfaction and she placed the glass carefully in the sink. She made her way back to her room, but stopped when she thought she heard a noise come from Nick's room. Her ears shot up and turned towards the door, and she stopped right in front of it.

"I suppose I'd better check on him.' she thought. Judy twisted the doorknob and lightly pushed the door open. She entered the room slowly, making sure not to wake the sleeping fox.

Judy stared at the bed, which contrary to what she thought did not contain a sleeping fox. Instead it contained a fox, sitting up in bed, mindlessly staring at his phone, completely oblivious to the rabbit that had just entered the room.

"Nick! What are you doing?" Judy whispered loudly. Nick looked around and pulled out his earbuds, putting on a sheepish grin.

"You caught me…" he said.

"Nick, you need to get some rest. Have you slept at all tonight?" she asked, walking up to the bedside.

"Unfortunately, no. I feel tired, but I haven't been able to sleep at all tonight. I pulled out my phone, hoping I would fall asleep while watching a movie or something, but I just can't seem to." Nick replied. Not only couldn't he fall asleep, he really didn't want to out of fear. The last few times he'd been able to get some rest, it was filled with horrifying nightmares that left him wide awake in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, often times being forced to cry himself back to sleep. "May I ask what you are doing up at such an hour?"

"I was getting a glass of water." Judy fired back. "Now, you need to go to sleep." she commanded. Nick stared at Judy with his pouty face again.

"Will you stay in here? Just for a wittle while?" he pleaded, curling his bottom lip. Judy thought it best to succumb to his desire and she climbed into bed next to him.

"Only until you fall asleep." she said. Nick gave her a quick two-fingered salute and he layed back in bed. Judy scooched closer to Nick, nuzzling his bare chest as she got comfortable.

She inhaled deeply, the scent of his fur infiltrating her nostrils. The bed felt much warmer, it felt softer, and her rest came upon her easier than it had in nearly a week. Before the gentle caress of slumber took over, she heard a light snore come from the fox laying next to her.

She tried to get up to follow her promise that she would leave when he fell asleep, but her body had other plans, and she stayed put, sleep finally shrouding her thoughts with pleasant dreams.

* * *

Judy awoke the next morning, feeling the late morning sun kissing her fur. She first felt it on her cheek, then on top of her head, and then on the same cheek…

'Wait a minute… that's not the sun…' Judy thought. She opened her eyes just in time to see Nick's puckered lips going straight for her lips. They connected, and the feeling of Judy kissing him back startled Nick a little bit. His eyes opened wide and he froze in his position for several seconds. Judy moved apart from the kiss and smirked at Nick. He was staring at her, his lips still pursed and a bemused look in his eyes.

"Good morning, Slick." Judy said cooly. Nick's confusion quickly became his trade-mark smirk, accompanied by half-lidded green eyes.

"Good morning to you as well." Nick said roughly. His voice cracked a few times, and it seemed deeper than usual. Nick tried to clear his throat and then spoke again.

"Good… ahem… Goo... hhhah!" A coughing fit followed his butchered statement. Nick leaned forward and continued coughing and hacking violently. Judy patted his back and rubbed it gently.

"That's it. Breathe. You're ok." she said. The coughing fit slowed down until he had finally calmed down.

"I think I'm good now." Nick said with a crackly and raspy voice. He tried clearing his throat again, but quickly gave up on it.

"Do you need a glass of water?" Judy asked. Nick nodded sharply up and down. Judy hurried out of the room and into the kitchen, promptly filling a small glass with water and bringing it to Nick. Grasping the cup with two paws, he took a small sip. He quickly brought the glass back to his lips for a bigger drink, downing the remainder of it's contents.

"That's better…" he said, his voice still slightly raspy, but better nonetheless. Judy took the glass from Nick, setting it on the desk next to the bed.

"So… what do you want to do today?" Judy asked, placing her paws behind her and looking down at the carpet. "I've got nothing productive I can think of."

"You know what? Why don't we finish off that stack of DVD's? We only have a few left. That should kill several hours." Nick suggested.

"That actually sounds wonderful. I'll get my laptop and we can watch them in here rather than on that old tv in the closet you wanted. They'll look better on my computer anyways." Judy said. While Judy went off to fetch her computer and the remaining movies, Nick sat patiently in the bed, twiddling his thumbs and looking around at the little quirks of the room.

The room was only about a wide as the bed itself, so there was only about two feet of space between the wall and the foot of the bed. The only window in the room was quite large and took up a lot of the space on the back wall. The sun still shone through that window even though there were blinds covering it. Whenever Nick layed down, as if to go to sleep, he would be able to look between the slats of the blinds and the sun would shine in his eyes.

Judy trotted back into the bedroom holding her laptop, which was nearly as large as her, and five DVD cases. She used all her might to set the laptop on the bed and she climbed up, getting comfortable under the covers and then she set the laptop up so that both of them could see the screen.

Judy made a choice for what to watch first and Nick put it in the disk drive. The fox and the rabbit leaned back, in each other's embrace and wasted away time together.

* * *

Throughout Judy's life, she had known several family members that were taken from her by cancer. Each and every experience was completely different, for her and for whom it infected. There was however, one connection that she could make between all of them, and even include other stories that she'd heard. Every single one felt out of breath and had issues breathing mere hours, or at most a couple days, before they went.

That morning when Nick woke up, he did so like he usually did in those days, with a start and almost always panting. It had plagued him for several days and up to now. He had woken up that morning panting and shaking, but the feeling of breathlessness lingered for much longer than usual, in fact, it never truly left.

The fox and the rabbit were in the middle of their third movie, when Judy noticed something peculiar about how Nick was laying down. She watched his chest rise slowly, higher than it usually would, and then drop quickly and sharply. After making this observation, she was brought back to those memories of her deceased family members and how they looked not long before it was their turn to leave the world.

She listened to the sounds of the room, and she could hear Nick's erratic breaths amid all the sounds that accompanied the room at that time. She shook off the thoughts that came into her head, telling herself that it was no time to be getting worked up, especially in front of Nick. She brought her attention back to the movie and everything seemed to go smoothly for a while.

But she was brought back to how he was breathing while just beginning the fourth movie, when his breathing increased in speed, and became shallow, yet loud. He didn't seem to notice how loud it really was, and how terrible he sounded.

"Nick, are you doing alright? You sound out of breath." Judy asked with a generous amount of concern in her voice.

What happened next would be forever engraved in Judy's mind.

Nick turned towards her, his eyes wide and fully open, panting like he'd just ran several miles and clutching his chest.

Over the last couple decades, Nick had worked on building up a mask over his emotions. He'd built up a quite impressive one as well. Though after he met Judy, that mask began it's downfall. Slowly over time, it's defensed weakened, putting small little cracks in the mask. After he was diagnosed, that mask became broken, though it still covered most things.

If there could be a moment when Nick felt he wasn't truly Nick Wilde, it was at this very moment.

His mask had finally shattered. There was nothing covering his emotions from any mammal that looked upon his face. His eyes were filled with fear, that smirk that he usually wore was non-existent, his ears had splayed back as low as they could go, and he was shaking like never before.

Nick was afraid, and anyone who looked at him would know it.

Judy looked into that face, seeing nothing but the fear that he'd kept from her since the beginning. As tears welled up in her eyes, Nick finally opened his mouth to speak.

"I… I think I need a bit of a… alone t… time." he said, barely audible even to Judy.

She didn't want to get in the way, nor did she really want to see Nick in so horrible a condition, so she got off of the bed, giving Nick a quick pat on one of his paws before leaving the room. She walked over to the door and opened it, then she looked back at him before exiting.

Judy shut the door behind herself, leaning against the door and falling to the floor. What the hell had she just seen!?

She couldn't hold back anymore.

Judy broke down, trying her best to keep her sobs as quiet as possible. She finally knew what Nick looked like genuinely scared and afraid, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

She was not going to forget that look.

* * *

Nick had his paws over his ears, holding back screams of terror and absolute insanity. He rocked back and forth on the bed, mumbling to himself that everything was going to be ok, but he knew very well that it was not.

His whole body hurt. Every square inch of his skin felt like it was being burned by a torch. Breaths now came in short, rapid bursts, trying his best to get the oxygen he needed.

He felt dizzy, like he'd just been spun around a million times. He felt nauseous, but the pain… oh the pain!

He'd kept it hidden all week from Judy. He was constantly in pain, and the worst part was how every time he coughed, it felt like someone stuck needles in his lungs. It looked like it, too, because he'd found that at times he would cough up blood.

Nick gave up on being silent. He let out a whimper of pure agony. He couldn't take it anymore. The searing pain all over his body was taking over his being.

Nick's vision became blurry, flashes of white encompassing all he could see. He tried breathing faster, but all that did was speed up what came next. He finally let out a scream that could be heard all the way to Bunnyburrow. He fell backwards, his head falling just before his pillow.

He was out cold, the pain getting the better of him.

Judy, upon hearing his scream, opened the door while yelling his name and ran to the bed, seeing the passed out fox laying on the bed. His chest rose and fell gently, but he didn't look so good.

"Nick! Nick! Please wake up! You need to get up!" she said, hoping that he would come to. Judy felt his forehead with her paw. He was burning up badly. Judy didn't know what to do. Her one true love was laying in a bed right before her, slowly wasting away. She didn't know how much time he had left, or if he would even last the rest of the day.

Things had taken such a turn for the worse. She couldn't believe that this was the same fox from just a week ago.

Judy realized that she needed to do something. She'd dreaded even the thought of having to do this, but she didn't have much of a choice. Judy pulled out her phone and began typing a message. After going over it a few times, she selected the majority of her contacts and hit send.

* * *

 **(A/N: So yeah, things are getting pretty intense wouldn't ya say? This was quite a short chapter as well. In fact, it has been the shortest chapter I've posted, ever.**

 **Even still, please let me know what you think about this chapter, or the whole story. Please tell me your thoughts with a review so that I can better gauge how I'm doing, and in turn, make everything better for you guys! And as always, if you haven't already, please follow and favorite the story. All follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!**

 **Of course, I look forward to seeing your reviews and I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can!** **Adjö!- Ande883**


	16. My Name is Nicholas Wilde

**"When I Get Where I'm Going" - By Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton**

 **TISSUE WARNING!**

* * *

They would be arriving soon…

They would come, they would see, they would not unsee.

Delivered twenty one hours ago. Judy stared at the screen of her phone. 50-100 mammals, some of them way up north, unable to see him one last time.

Didn't matter. They still needed to know.

Everybody needed to know. It was a text message, a call, a voicemail, or even an email that nobody wanted to receive.

"Nick is not doing well. He has a lot of trouble breathing. We don't expect him to last much longer."

Judy read the message to herself over and over again, out loud and in her mind. 'Who's we?' she thought. Did she mean the both of them? Surely not. It was only her now. Yes, he was still alive, but it's not him that's laying in that bed. That wasn't Nick laying in front of her. _That_ is the shell of the fox she thought she used to know.

She thought he would keep his promise, but he didn't.

"No, what are you talking about, Jude!? He fought as hard as he could." she whispered to herself. He had, but now it was a different battle he was fighting. Before it was a battle to keep life simple, the way it used to be. Now he was fighting for each and every short and shallow breath. Each inhalation required 110% effort. But no matter the will to live, any mammal would eventually run out of strength.

Every once in a while, there was a catch in Nick's breath. He would wheeze and sputter for a moment, then return back to his 'ordinary' breathing. 'Ordinary' was one way of putting it, though it was anything but ordinary. No mammal breathes with such short, quick, and shallow repetition. No, these were the respirations of a warrior, someone who fought bravely against the enemy until the bitter end, giving everything he had, and then giving even more. Nick was not losing a battle, he was finishing it, bringing his life story to a final close.

This, what could be seen before Judy, was the epilogue.

The epilogue, a most wonderful part of a book. Often times, they were Judy's favorite part of a good novel. They were a chance to hear the voices of the characters one last time before they disappeared back into the pages. Just like the epilogue, Judy longed to hear Nick's voice one more time. She wanted to hear some stupid pun of his, she wanted to hear him call her a sly bunny. She _needed_ to hear him whisper 'I love you' for the last time. She wanted it so badly, but knew that if this was how he remained for the last twenty one hours, it probably wouldn't happen.

Judy brought her attention back to her phone, seeing the many replies that had come into view over the last multitude of hours. Six caught her eye. Clawhauser, Faxon, Jessie, Veronica, her parents… Chief Bogo. Each of them replied saying that they would be there as soon as they could. Judy thought about who each of those mammals were to her.

Clawhauser...

He had been such a good friend to Nick and Judy over the last few years.

Faxon...

Probably Nick's best friend at the precinct.

Jessie…

Judy could not put to words how much she appreciated her partner.

Veronica…

One of the most caring and forgiving mammals she'd ever met.

Her parents…

They would do anything for her, even drive all the way to Zootopia twice in a week's time.

Chief Bogo…

Despite his hard exterior, Judy knew just how much he cared for his smallest officers.

If there were any mammals she would want to be surrounded by when Nick's time came to pass, it was them.

Judy was brought away from her phone screen. Nick's time to pass? It still hadn't quite sank into her mind. Nick wasn't too far from death, and she knew that perfectly well. The thought buzzed in her mind, giving her a nasty headache. Judy looked to the corner of the room, where the tower fan hummed away, growing louder and louder each second until Judy was forced to get up. She yanked the cord out of the wall socket, the rotating column of fan blades slowly grinding to a halt. Her head still hurt, but now there was no sound at all in the room.

They would be arriving soon...

* * *

Veronica was the first to make an appearance. It was nearly two in the afternoon, and Judy hadn't moved from her seat at Nick's bedside since she first sat down at a little after 7 A.M. Judy had her paw interlocked with Nick's when she heard a light rapping at the door.

Her ears went up at the sound and Judy reluctantly left Nick's side to open the door for whoever was there. She slowly made her way to the door, her ears drooping behind her head and dragging her feet on the carpet. Judy opened the door, and in front of her stood the most deplorable Veronica Wilde she'd ever seen. The vixen had messy fur all over and looked to have gotten maybe an hour of sleep, if she was lucky. She did her best to give Judy a smile, but it quickly fell off in her exhaustion.

The fox and the rabbit looked at each other for a moment, sharing in the grief that they both felt, and then came together for a quick, but tender hug. Both of them were too crestfallen to say much, so they walked to Nick's room in silence. Judy took a seat at the foot of Nick's bed while she allowed Veronica to sit in the chair. Veronica's gaze fell upon Nick's pale, skinny, and sickly muzzle and she grasped his paw for dear life. His fur was not the usual russet color, but rather a duller, more grayish-red.

"How's he been, today?" she asked, voice quiet and haggard, while turning to Judy.

"He's been just like this since about three o'clock yesterday. Barely moved an inch." Judy managed to reply. There was an awkward silence that filled the room for several minutes. Tension was high and it had a horrible effect on Judy's emotional state. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say, or what not to say. Thankfully, she didn't have to restart their conversation.

"Judy, is there anything I can get for you? Do you need anything, anything at all?" Judy thought about the question for a moment. She sniffed the air, and cringed at the scent that filled her nostrils.

 _Idea._

"If there's anything that I need the most right now, it's a shower." she said as jovially as possible. Veronica smiled at the doe. Judy noticed the smile, and she was amazed at how willing Veronica was to help even when she was in just as bad a shape as she was.

"I'll tell you what, you go draw yourself a nice hot bath and relax. I'll watch Nick for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I want to to take your mind off of things for a moment and refresh yourself." Judy returned a weak smile and walked out of the room. She quickly went into her own room and grabbed a change of clothes, then went straight to the bathroom. She shut and locked the door and turned on the water, blocking the drain so the tub would fill up. She adjusted the temperature so that the water was nearly scalding hot. 'Perfect…' Judy thought.

She waited a few minutes for the steamy water to fill up the tub, which was sized for mammals more Nick's size. She turned off the water, removed her clothing and dipped a foot into the water. It stung for a moment, but after she got used to the temperature difference, it felt incredible. She sank the rest of the way into the tub, letting the water cover her until it barely touched her chin. The hot water soaked her fur, and the tenseness in her body slowly dissipated until she was completely relaxed.

Judy sat in the water until it was almost cold. She had scrubbed all the impurities out of her fur that had accumulated since Friday, and she could have sworn that the water was slightly brown. Judy hopped out of the bath, draining the water. She thoroughly dried her fur and put on her change of clothes. She brushed her now soft and fluffy fur so that it looked as good as it felt to finally have it clean. Judy left the bathroom, feeling like a completely new bunny.

Judy had found a new energy after that, and she was very glad that she did. She didn't think she would have made it through the rest of the day without passing out from exhaustion. Judy tossed her old, foul-smelling clothes into a laundry basket and then made her way back to Nick's room, where real life awaited her.

Judy pushed open the door and she walked in, a slight spring in her step. Veronica looked up upon her entrance and once again did her best to smile.

"Feel better?"

"So much better. I really needed that." Judy said with a sigh.

"You look better." Veronica replied. "Sometimes all it takes is a quick moment of relaxation to completely rejuvenate the body and soul."

"Well I'm glad that I don't look like I did before. I imagine you were a bit shocked to see me like that." Judy said.

"Oh, I'm sure I looked just as bad. I don't think I got much more than a couple hours of sleep last night."

"I probably didn't even get that."

A knock sounded at the door and Judy pulled out her phone, seeing that she had been in the bathroom for a lot longer than she thought. Judy was about to get up to answer the door, but Veronica beat her to it.

"You." she said, pointing at the doe. "Sit in the chair, be next to him. I've got door duty from now on." she commanded. Veronica walked out of the room and over to the door. Judy heard the door open and then a voice that was unmistakeable.

Clawhauser…

Judy heard some talking, but she couldn't quite make out the words. Then she heard a couple more voices. As soon as the front door closed, Clawhauser walked into the room, taking up a lot of the standing space himself. From behind him appeared the forms of Officers Jackson and Howlson.

"Judy! O M Goodness! I haven't seen you in sooo long!" the portly cheetah said. Judy smiled at him and stood up.

"I know. I've missed everyone at the station. I can't wait to get back to work." Judy said quietly. Ben knew instantly that his excitement was probably pushing the limits on what Judy could handle right now, so he did his best to calm himself down.

Judy looked at the two wolves that were standing in the doorway to Nick's room and gave them the warmest smile she could muster.

"Howlson. It's a pleasure to see you again." Judy said, holding out her paw.

"Oh, c'mon, Judy. Bogo's not here. You don't have to be so professional." he said, leaning downward and scooping the rabbit into a big hug. They held it for a few seconds, and then they moved apart from each other.

"Where's Carley?" Judy asked.

"Oh, she's out of town right now visiting family, but she's supposed to be back tomorrow." Howlson replied. Jessie cleared her throat and Judy turned to the other wolf.

"I'm not going to get any of that action?" Jessie said, holding out her arms. Judy embraced her partner, almost letting a few tears fall from her eyes.

'No, I'm not going to do that right now, especially not in front of Jessie and Faxon.' Judy thought to herself. She would do whatever it took to keep her composure today.

"Thank you guys so much for being here." Judy said with a smile, and one that she didn't have to struggle to put on her face.

"Oh, Judy. You think we would leave you alone? We'd get the entire precinct in here for you if it was possible. We just love you and Nick so much…" Faxon said, getting a little bit choked up. Judy looked at the wolf, who normally stayed pretty emotionally neutral, and she was starting to already break the dams in her eyes she'd just built up. "I'd hate myself if I didn't get to see him one last time…" Faxon said while looking at Nick and kneeling down by his bedside. Judy caught the glimpse of a few tears falling from his eyes.

'That didn't last long…'

Judy placed her arm around the wolf's shoulder and shed her first tears of the day. She figured that if _he_ was crying, it would be for the best if she did too.

The first of many…

Faxon was having a rough time, Judy could tell. He didn't look good when he first entered the apartment. He was, after all, one of Nick's best friends, and seeing any mammal in Nick's state would cause anyone to break down in tears. It pained Judy to see him like this. He was always such a lovable, funny, and enjoyable mammal to be around, but now he was hurting so much that he had completely changed.

His sobs rang through her ears like no other sound had before. They were quiet, but each one contained an emotional burden that had accumulated for weeks. All of it was being let out, and it was a good thing. Judy knew what holding in emotions could do to a mammal. It leaves them as the shell of who they used to be, incapable of having any emotions at all. She had seen something like that with Nick, when she first met him on that fateful first day of her's as an officer of the Zootopia Police Department.

He was just a fox, victim of prejudice and so overwhelmed and done with life that he just decided to live up to the stereotype. He, instead of letting go of all those emotions that such a situation would instill, buried them deep inside himself for no mammal to ever see again…

...Until she found him.

It had occurred to her before, just how much she had changed Nick over the last few years. His mother had thanked her several times for the changes that had come upon Nick, and she knew that he was a completely different mammal from the first moment they locked eyes. Now, suddenly, it was all coming back to her, as if she was just noticing how different he'd become, like seeing an old high school friend for the first time in many years. She realized that she hadn't simply changed him.

She had saved him.

She had saved him from a life that would have gone completely to waste. Saved him from a life filled with hatred and pain, only to feel relief when he'd managed to hustle an unsuspecting mammal. Saved him from God know's what. Life out on the streets of Zootopia was tough and incredibly dangerous. He probably knew the right places to go, but what if he'd bumped into some "old clients" of his who wanted to discuss finances for a moment.

Judy shuddered at the thought of Nick being jumped and beaten to a pulp, or even killed at the hands of some angry mammals who'd been taken advantage of. Yeah, she'd certainly saved him. Instead of living his final moments on the streets all alone, he'd have all those who cared about him the most.

Howlson had managed to suppress his tears for the time being, and Judy pulled out her phone and watched the time go from 2:59 to 3:00. Time was surely flying by today. It only seemed like a few minutes ago, she was thinking about the days that preceded today. Judy continued thinking about the events that lead to this very moment, when a slight movement was caught out of the corner of her eyes.

She moved her gaze to Nick's form and she could see that he was in fact moving a little. Everyone in the room grew completely silent and all their eyes shifted to him.

"Nick?" Judy said quietly as she approached his bedside.

And then he opened his eyes...

* * *

 _Nothing…_

 _There was nothing he could feel, nothing he could see, nothing he could do about what was going to happen. There was only darkness that shrouded his thoughts, and he could only think the words that he wanted to come out of his mouth._

 _Judy…_

 _He longed to feel her touch, hear her voice, see her caring and soothing eyes look back into his. He wanted so much to tell her how much he loved her, just to hear her say those same words back to him. He wanted to feel the softness of her fur in the palms of his paws as he stroked her ears, rubbed her back, felt her close to him as they sat and did nothing but stay in each other's embrace as they had on so many occasions._

 _Where are you…_

 _He couldn't feel anything. There were no senses that told him anything was touching him. But there was something in his head telling him that she was with him. He didn't know how to explain it, but he knew that Judy was there, and that she wouldn't leave him all alone._

 _He had read somewhere that when a mammal was unconscious, that mammal could tell when he or she was alone, or when there was someone else beside them. This was what that felt like._

 _I need you…_

 _The longing in Nick's heart to be able to see Judy one last time was overwhelming. His last sight of Judy was not a pleasant one. She had simply stared at him with utmost fear and understanding at what was happening at the moment he realized…_

 _...What? He didn't know anymore. His thoughts became clouded. The one thing that he still had to tell him that he was still alive was starting to go away. He needed to clear his thoughts, and fast, otherwise he would feel completely alone._

" _Alright, let's start with what I know for certain. My name is Nicholas Wilde. Ok, good, we got that part down."_

" _Well, I'm 35 years old, I think. Wait, no, I am 35 year old. Yeah, that's right. Ok, things are starting to seem better, let's keep it going."_

" _What time is it? I have no idea, umm… let's see, oh! The year is 2019. I do know for a fact that that is true. It is 2019, almost 2020, because it's December."_

 _Nick continued to think for a moment, about what he knew for sure. He went through all of the things that were in his head, but nothing seemed to really catch his attention._

" _I am going to die… I don't like to think that, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't true. Ok, let's recap this thought session."_

 _My name is Nicholas Wilde, I am 35 years old, the year is 2019, and I am going to die…_

 _Over and over again it went through his mind. Now it was this that filled all of his thoughts, and there was nothing that would seem to stop it._

" _I have to wake up…" he thought._

" _I have to…" Nick didn't know what to do to make him wake up. All he could do was think._

" _Well, if thinking is all I can do, then think I will."_

 _Judy, I love you…_

 _I don't want to leave you…_

 _Please don't leave me all alone…_

 _I'll make everything alright…_

 _Don't cry. Everything is going to be fine…_

 _Judy…_

 _I need you…_

 _I can't live without you…_

Suddenly, Nick regained feeling, but it was not something that was welcome. Pain shot through every single nerve in his body. He felt the light of the late afternoon shining through the window to his right grace his fur. He could hear a few voices talking in the background, as well as sobs right next to him. He heard some heavy footfalls in the distance and could even feel them. Nick tried not to move, and if he did, it brought about more and more pain, but it also seemed to help. He wiggled his fingers lightly underneath the sheets that covered his body. He was stiff, sore, and incredibly weak, all of which added to the pain that he felt.

As he continued to try and relieve himself of some of the pain, he heard the sobbing and words cease. It was completely quiet in whatever room his was in, and whoever was near had their eyes on him.

 _Nick?_

He knew that voice. He would never forget it. He had known all along that Judy was with him. Why wouldn't she be? He felt a surge of joy flooding through his body and most of the pain he was feeling slowly left his form. Nick lightly lifted his eyelids, but quickly closed them due to the brightness of the light that was coming into the room. He slowly opened them again, allowing time for his eyes to become used to the brightness.

Nick managed to get them open all the way, and he could see everything now. Judy was right next to him and those in the room included all the faces that he would have wanted to see. Faxon, Clawhauser, Jessie. All mammals that he cared about deeply.

"Nick…" Judy said. Nick turned his head towards the rabbit, who now had tears flowing down her face. She stared intently into his eyes, eagerly awaiting a response from the fox.

"Hey, Carrots." he said with a crack in his quiet and frail voice, a smile finding its way to his muzzle. Judy's paws shot up to her face and she giggled with joy at the sound of his voice. Judy hopped onto the bed and put her paws on Nick's cheeks and tenderly kissed him on the lips. Hey held it for a few seconds before Judy broke away, Nick moving forward slightly to try and find her lips again.

"It's nice to see you too." he said. Judy continued smiling at the fox, thankful that he was finally awake… again. Judy thought for sure that she wasn't going to be able to hear his voice again, see his eyes one last time, or feel his touch for the final moment. Nick looked around the room and watched as some russet fur just like his entered the room, wondering what all the commotion was. Veronica's eyes met Nick's and her face lit up upon seeing him awake.

"Nicky!" she screamed, running to the bedside and leaning over, planting a kiss on his forehead. She stared lovingly into the eyes of her son and he did so back.

"Hey, Mom." he said. Veronica began to cry, small tears rolling down the fur in her cheeks.

"Oh, baby. I love you so much. Mama loves you!" she cried, pulling Nick into a hug. He did his best to return the gesture, but his body was incredibly weak and it was a struggle to even move his arms enough to embrace his mother.

"I love you too, Mom. I love you _so_ much." he said, tears threatening to flow from his eyes. Judy watched the scene unfold and began laughing and crying at the same time. It was wonderful to see Nick awake and talking.

But then it hit her that he probably wouldn't be doing that for much longer. She noticed that he winced in pain as he had brought his arms around his mother, and that he looked like he hadn't slept in days. She shook off the dreadful thoughts. It's always best to keep a sunny disposition.

Veronica released Nick from her hug and he settled back into the bed that he lay in. Nick turned to look at Judy, who was sitting at the foot of the bed. Nick waved for her to come closer to him.

"Carrots, c'mere. I need to tell you something." he said. Judy looked at him while she scooted closer to Nick's muzzle to hear him better.

"What it is, Nick?" she asked.

"Judy, I know you don't want or need to hear this right now, but I know that I don't have much time left…"

"Nick, please. You are going to be fi…"

"No. Judy. I won't be here long. I need you to listen. Please." Judy didn't want to argue with Nick. He was right. She did need to listen to him.

"Judy, I want you to do something for me."

"Anything for you, Nick. I'll do whatever it is." she said, more tears falling from her eyes. Nick smiled at the rabbit as he continued.

"Do you remember the first time you came to Zootopia, when you first moved here?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget?" Judy replied.

"Good, then you remember what you thought the city was like." Nick said. Judy didn't have to think long about that.

"I thought everyone held paws and sang Kumbaya." Judy said with a small chuckle amidst her quiet and controlled sobs.

"Exactly. Took the words right from my mouth. I want you to make this city like that. Make sure that everyone gets along. Do what you always wanted to do, and make the world a better place. Start here in the city, and never give up on that dream. Can you do that for me?" Judy looked at Nick with a loving stare. She would do whatever it was that he wanted.

"Of course, Nick. I'm going to make this the best damn world ever, just for you." she said. It was a daring task that she had ahead of her. Turn this city that she lived in into a utopia? It would be tough, some might say impossible, but she was up to the challenge, for Nick.

"Good. I knew you'd do it." Nick said. The fox shifted his gaze from Judy to Faxon, and he waved him over to the bedside. The wolf walked over and kneeled down beside Nick.

"Howlson, can you do a favor for me?" Nick asked.

"Of course, mate. I'll do anything for you." the wolf replied.

"Help her out. I see a little bit of Judy in every single officer at the precinct, especially in you. Please, do me the honors of assisting her with making the city the best place to live in the entire world." Nick said. He waited for a response from the wolf, but he just stared at Nick with wide eyes.

Howlson knew that he had to do it, and that he wanted to do it. He would do anything for Nick.

"I'll do whatever it takes, Nick." he stated strongly, doing his best to keep the tears from breaching his eyes.

Next, Nick gestured for Jessie to come to his bedside. She slowly made her way and kneeled down next to him, turning her ears to him so that she could hear his ever-quieting voice.

"Jessie. Judy's very lucky partner. Oh, how jealous I am of you." Nick chuckled a little bit. "And how lucky Judy is to have you as a partner. I know that I can count on you to keep her safe out in the city while you make it a better place. But can you promise me that you will be willing to give your life for Judy, and any other officer that you may work with in the future?"

The female wolf was in tears as she heard her commission from Nick. She was completely speechless, and so all she did was strongly nod up and down. She would do anything to protect Judy. They had only been partners for a little while, but there was nothing she wouldn't do for that rabbit. She had commanded the respect of the entire precinct in her first week as an officer, and so was worthy of her's right off the bat.

Nick once again switched his gaze, this time it fell upon Clawhauser. The cheetah did not need Nick to tell him to come close. Upon catching Nick's stare, he made his way up to the bedside and listened intently on what the fox had to say.

"Benji, oh Benji. Please keep being who you are. Do not change anything about yourself. Be someone who will listen to whatever another has to say, be a shoulder to cry on, be the mammal I have come to know you to be. Be a friend to all who meet you. Will you do that for me, buddy?" Nick asked. Clawhauser had just began crying his first tears of the day when Nick spoke to him.

"I won't let you down, Nick. Not in a million years, or for all the donuts in the world." he replied.

"That's good, Ben. I'm glad to hear it."

Nick motioned for his mother to come back to his side. The teary eyed vixen walked back over to her son and leaned in to hear him better.

"Mom, please, and I cannot stress this enough, please keep Judy company whenever she needs it. Don't let this be the end of your relationship with her." Nick said. Veronica smiled down at Nick.

"I never dreamed it, Nicky. You picked a wonderful mammal to love, and I want to be there for her whenever I can be." the vixen replied. Nick smiled at his mother lovingly and then continued looking around the room for the one he wanted to talk to next.

He had a favor to ask of a certain buffalo.

"Where's old buffalo-butt hiding?" Nick asked. Faxon exchanged with Nick a concerned gaze.

"Buddy, he's not here yet. I know that he got word to be here, but he hasn't arrived. I'll call him though." Faxon pulled out his phone and typed in Bogo's number. He held it up to his ear.

Everyone in the room waited, and waited…

And waited…

Faxon lowered the phone from his ear and he looked at Nick with disappointment.

"No answer."

* * *

Chief Bogo was sitting at his desk, trying his best to do paperwork. His mind kept going back to the text he'd received from Judy yesterday. Nick was finally at his end, and Bogo was not taking it too well. He'd not felt like this since the incident with Officer Clawson almost two years ago.

The chief of Precinct One had been sitting at his desk all day, listening to his transmitter which was sitting on his desk, not wanting to get up and do anything. Nothing had happened that day, and he was eternally grateful for whatever force decided that there would be no incidents today.

Bogo thought about Nick and the last time he'd seen him. It was a couple days after the wedding, and Nick made his way to the station one last time to finalize his resignation. It was the last time he'd spoken to the fox, and he really didn't want it to be like that. He needed at least one more chance to talk to him. But the cape buffalo was frozen in place. He didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think, anything. For once in his life, he'd been made completely immobile, and all because of one mammal.

He'd waited as long as he had because being the chief of police, you never know when someone will need you. Sure, he could get his closest subordinate to take over command for a while, but that was only saved for last resorts.

This was definitely one of those times, he decided.

Bogo watched as the clock on his desk displayed 3:12 as the time. He knew what he had to do now. Nothing was going on, so he grabbed his transmitter and issued a command.

"Attention all units. I'm going to be unavailable for a while. If I'm needed, contact Sgt. Leo, over." he spoke into the radio. With that, Bogo grabbed everything he needed and exited his office. He hurried down the stairs and out of the doors to the garage where all the patrol cars were located.

In all his frenzy to get to his patrol car, Bogo was unable to hear or feel his phone ringing in his pocket.

The buffalo got to his car and quickly turned it on, instantly flipping on his sirens. He tore out of the parking garage and into the sunlight of the late afternoon. Dodging through the traffic of the city streets, Bogo had a terrible feeling that he didn't have much time to get to Nick and Judy's apartment if he wanted to see Nick alive one last time.

His sirens wailed in the downtown area of the massive city, echoing off the sides of towering spires and buildings. As he flew by mammals walking along the streets, they all watched the patrol car fly by.

Bogo looked desperately at the buildings, trying to see the one that Nick and Judy lived in. His eyes searched and searched until they spotted the one he knew to be the Wilde-Hopps residence. The car skidded to a stop, pushing the buffalo forward in his seat, nearly causing his chest to touch the steering wheel. He turned off the sirens but left the flashing lights on and he ran up to the building and opened the door.

* * *

"Oh, well. I guess I'll have to keep that one to myself then." Nick said. He looked around the room and saw each of the mammals that he cared for so much with tears in their eyes.

"What's with the tears, you guys?" Nick said. Judy got close to Nick and stroked his cheek.

"We love you, Nick. That's why we have tears. We don't want to see you leave." she said. Judy didn't want to say goodbye, and neither did anyone else in the room.

"Listen, when I get where I'm going, there won't be any pain. There will be no sorrow. I'm going to be able to fly free. I'll be made completely new and be able to tell everyone up there about you guys, and everything will be perfect. When I get where I'm going, I don't want you to cry for me down here." Nick said. This only caused Judy to start crying even harder. She moved even closer to Nick and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Nick, please stop talking like that. You're not going anywhere. We're going to cry for you if we want, and we're only doing it because we love you so much. I love you, to the moon and back a million times over. I'll never stop loving you." Judy cried.

"Judy, I love you too. I'll love you for all of eternity. My heart is all for you." he said. A single tear came down from his eye. Judy wiped away the tear with her thumb and she stared into Nick's eyes, the ones that she would miss so much.

"And so is mine." Judy said. Tears stained her shirt and they dripped off of her face and onto Nick's chest. He was losing his battle. She could see the end coming near.

Nick began feeling light-headed, and his vision was blurring. He knew what that meant.

It was time to go home.

Nick closed his eyes and laid back into the pillow. He pulled Judy's head close to his muzzle as he spoke quietly into her ears, a smile finding its way to his face.

"Goodbye Judy Hopps…"

His voice was shaky, yet it did not seem fearful, but rather hopeful. Nick relaxed completely into the pillow. A final breath escaped his muzzle and his form became completely limp. The paw that was around the back of Judy's head slowly slid away, falling limp onto the sheets. Left on his muzzle, was a simple, yet beautiful smile.

Judy stared in horror at the sight before her.

"Nick?" she said hesitantly, her voice shaky and broken up. She shook him a little bit, but he did not move. She shook harder, but it wasn't doing anything.

"Nick! No! Please don't leave me! Nick! You have to wake up! Say something!" she yelled. Judy pounded on his chest, trying desperately to wake Nick up, but he wasn't asleep.

Nicholas Piberious Wilde was gone.

Judy felt completely alone for the first time in a while, despite being surrounded by mammals that cared for her a lot. Her heart sank every time she blinked and saw Nick still laying in the same position he was before, completely lifeless.

Faxon wiped away tears from his eyes as he put away his phone.

"3:20…" he said. "Judy, he's gone, please stop… Now he belongs to the ages..." Faxon said, sniffing and wiping away more tears. Judy didn't listen to him.

She _had_ to wake him back up.

"No! Nick's not gone! He's still alive!" she yelled back at the wolf, tears streaming down her face. Faxon couldn't take any more of this. It was too difficult to watch Judy try and make him come back to life. And try she did, but it was no use.

"Judy! He's gone! Please, for everyone here, just let him go! He's in a better place now!" he yelled back at her. Faxon grabbed Judy and pulled her away from Nick, preventing her from hitting his chest anymore. He turned her around and pulled her into a hug. Judy melted into the the wolf's embrace, her tears falling upon his shirt. Her sobs were mixed with screams of intense pain and sorrow. Her Nick was finally gone, never to tell her that he loves her again. She wouldn't know what it felt like to kiss him anymore, or feel his touch, or wake up next to him.

Veronica walked up to Nick's bedside and stared at his lifeless face. She bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead once more, a few of her tears falling onto his russet fur. She longed to hear him speak just one more time.

Clawhauser had retreated to the floor, sitting with his legs tucked into his stomach and his arms wrapped around them. The tears flowed freely from his eyes, drenching his shirt and his quiet sobs made it through his legs and arms which covered his mouth.

Jessie simply stood where she had been before, unable to move or say anything. She just stared at the floor and let her tears fall onto the carpet. When a knock at the door sounded, it broke the wolf out of her trance. She left the room and slowly walked over to the door. She didn't know who it was, but she figured whoever it was would want to know what had happened.

Jessie opened the door and Bogo's massive form stood before her, breathing heavily with a look of dread upon his face. Jessie looked up to the buffalo and shook her head. As she closed her eyes, a few tears fell from them. Bogo knew what it meant.

He was too late.

Bogo had waited too long, and now he wouldn't have that chance to tell Nick just how much he cares for him. The buffalo walked away from the door and back out into the hallway of the apartment. He leaned against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting. Bogo's hooves made their way to his face to cover the fact that he was crying.

From inside the apartment, Judy's cries could be heard easily into the hallway and it only made it harder for Bogo to contain himself. He felt like a complete dimwit. He waited too long, and his apprehension to leave Sgt. Leo in command was already taking it's toll. Bogo had missed out on saying goodbye to one of his best officers, and there was only one mammal to blame.

He should have trusted his gut feeling more. It was in his nature, being the experienced chief that he was, to never trust a gut feeling, and go by what he knew for sure, taking as few risks as possible. He thought he knew that Nick would last until he could get a better time to be unavailable, but his gut told him otherwise, and he ignored it.

Wallowing in his stupidity, the buffalo failed to notice the rabbit that had walked out of her apartment and into the hallway, staring at him. Bogo looked to his side and saw Judy standing a little ways away from him. He quickly got to his feet and closed the gap between the two.

The poor rabbit looked terrible, and for good reason, but it still hurt him to see Officer Hopps in such a deplorable state. His professionalism quickly took a backseat to what he knew was appropriate for a situation like this. Bogo got down onto both of his knees and leaned over, placing a hoof on Judy's shoulder. Judy, on the other paw, had other plans and let her knees buckle, forcing Bogo to catch her before she hit the ground. She began sobbing uncontrollably and he brought her into a hug. Amidst her sobs, Judy was barely able to produce a coherent sentence.

"H… He's g… g… gone…" Judy cried. Bogo patted Judy's back lightly to try and comfort her poor soul.

"I know. I know. I feel terrible that I couldn't get here in time, Hopps. I wish I could have spoken to him one last time. I wish I could have been here for you." Judy's heart sank even lower than it already was as terrible thoughts flooded her mind. Nick had wished to see Bogo before he died, and Bogo wanted to get a chance to talk to him one last time. Judy figured it was best if he didn't know that much.

As terrible as she felt right now, it was better to keep that feeling away from others as much as possible.

"It's ok, Chief. I know that you tried to get here. It's not like you knew when he would pass. It's not your fault." Judy said. Bogo moved apart from the hug and put both of his hooves on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Listen, Hopps, if you need anything, just let me know, or anyone else at the ZPD, and we will be there to help you. You are not alone after this, and I refuse to let you feel that way." he said. It was one of the reasons she loved her job so much. Everyone was there to help each other out.

"And don't you worry, Hopps. I am going to make sure that he is sent away the way that a hero deserves to be sent away." Bogo said. Judy knew that he was talking about Nick's funeral. She didn't want to think about it right now, but she would have to eventually.

"Thank you, Chief." Judy said. Bogo nodded as he stood up and looked to the stairwell.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Hopps. I need to get back to the station. There's a city that needs to be informed.

Judy watched as Bogo made his way down the empty corridor. He turned at the stairwell, disappearing behind the corner, the sound of his hooves hitting concrete echoing in the hallway.

She walked back into her apartment, lightly closing the door behind her. Right now, all she wanted to do was wallow in her tears. She had a lot going on inside her head, and it felt good to finally let out all of her pent up emotions that had built up inside of her for so long.

Judy entered the crowded room and her gaze instantly fell upon Nick's body. He was so still, exactly how he was when she exited the room, not that she expected him to have moved at all. The space was quiet, save for the few whimpers from Clawhauser who was still in his same position on the floor. Jessie had her arm around his shoulder and was doing the best she could to comfort the mourning cheetah.

Her conversation with Chief Bogo had taken her mind off of the events that had occurred within the last ten minutes. Somehow, she completely ignored the emotions that had been flooding out of her, and she managed to regain some of her composure. But now, with her standing right at Nick's bedside, the tears started to come back, and she welcomed them with open arms. They quickly accumulated in her eyes and then dripped down her cheeks. She absent-mindedly reached for Nick's already cold and lifeless paw.

She brought it up to her cheek, where he had placed it on so many occasions as a loving gesture between the two of them, and she simply held it there. It felt different, though. His touch was cold and completely void of any life that she usually felt. It wasn't the touch she remembered, the one that she longed for so deeply.

She looked upon his face, which surprisingly looked happy. His smirk still remained on his muzzle, and Judy hoped it stayed that way. He looked finally at peace.

Nick's last words echoed in Judy's mind.

 _Goodbye Judy Hopps…_

They gave her chills every time she thought them over in her mind. Goodbye was what mammals told their co-workers when they left for the night, because they would be seen the next day. Not when bidding a final farewell at the moment of death.

The doe gently placed Nick's paw down on the sheets. She moved closer to his face and lovingly stroked his cheek with the back of her paw. She was saying goodbye to a major part of her life. Her best friend. Her partner. Her lover. Her husband.

Her other half.

Judy was brought back to the happiest moment in her life; her wedding day. She remembered seeing Nick, standing in front of her in his dress blues, smiling like never before. He couldn't stop smiling or telling her that she was beautiful. Judy recalled both of their vows, and how they brought tears to nearly every mammal present. The final line of her vows came back to her.

 _I promise to love you unconditionally for the rest of my days…_

A light smile found it's way to Judy's muzzle. She would need to think of more happy memories for the future.

* * *

" _Earlier today, ZPD Chief Idris Bogo announced that at 5 o'clock, he would be calling an emergency press conference. Now, with that moment only minutes away, mammals from all over the city have flocked to the ZPD headquarters to hear what he has to say. We'll stay tuned for everyone to hear the conference. I'm ZNN anchor, Simon Hooverston."_

There was a crowd of reporters filling up the lobby of the ZPD, all waiting for Chief Bogo to step up to the podium and deliver whatever message he had. Constant talking roared and echoed through the large space that was nearly filled entirely with other mammals.

The talking quieted down as Bogo's massive form appeared from around the corner and he stepped up to the podium. Flashes from cameras came from all directions as he stared down at the crowd of reporters.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemammals." He began, causing several more cameras to flash. "We here at the ZPD are always doing whatever we can to keep our officers safe while they serve the city. Despite our efforts, there are some things that we simply cannot control, such as the ailment that has plagued Officer Nicholas P. Wilde for awhile now, and thus I am forced to make an announcement such as this." Bogo took some time to pause and collect his thoughts. He always hated having to make an impromptu speech, and he never really knew what to say, but he always did his best.

"Today, I regret to inform you, that at precisely twenty minutes past the fifteenth hour, Officer Nicholas P. Wilde was called to close his eyes upon mortal things, thankfully, in the presence of his closest family and friends." even more camera flashes nearly blinded the cape buffalo and shouts and gasps reverberated throughout the room.

"His legacy shall be forever engraved into the hearts of those he served, and thus shall never be forgotten. All of us here at the ZPD will continue as usual, though with heavy hearts as we mourn our fallen officer. He has resigned his mortal life, and exchanged it for an immortal one of eternal joy and peace, void of the suffering and hardship that falls upon all of mammal kind."

Everyone figured that he was finished and all the reporters began shouting questions at Chief Bogo. He held up a hoof to quiet the room down as he continued speaking.

"I would also like to take this time to bring it fully to your attention, something that I have been considering for the last several months." His voice became booming and powerful like it usually was, rather than weak and dejected. "Beginning the first of the year, I am going to be resigning my position as Chief of Police, and handing it down to Sgt. Jona P. Leo. I am no longer able to perform my duties to the best of my abilities, so it is for the benefit of the ZPD and the city that I step down from my post. Any questions?"

Every single paw and hoof shot up while large amounts of shouting followed.

* * *

 **(A/N: I did it... and I'm sorry if you cried, but I did too, so you're not alone.**

 **I'm going to be completely honest, I don't even know where to begin with the next chapter, because there are so many ideas that I have. I'll try my best to get the next one out in the next week, but I'm not going to guarantee anything.**

 **I was originally planning on taking more time to post this, just to get it to be the very best chapter I've ever written, but had I waited the two weeks like I originally said, I would have posted this chapter on Valentine's Day... sooo, yeah...**

 **See any allusions to something that may have happened on April 14th, 1865? If you got all three of them, then you rock! (Some happened later of earlier though...)**

 **Let me know how much you hate me for finally writing this chapter with a review, because I'm sure all of you do. Go ahead and follow and favorite if you like to cry, or just want to see more, because I'm definitely not done with this. If you're confused a bit and need some clarification, write a review or PM me. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.**

 **I would also like to thank everyone for reading this so far. We just hit 10,000 views, which is great! I can't believe how well this has gone for me, and I never expected to get nearly as much support as I have! So I thank every single person who has read this story so far!**

 **I'll see you guys next chapter! -Ande883)**


	17. The Five Stages of Grief

**A/N: So I figured out how to continue it... by ending it. This is the final chapter. Though I still want to do one more thing by writing a little epilogue which will hopefully not take too long for me to get it out. Without further ado, please enjoy the final chapter of Forty One Days!**

* * *

The light of the early morning sun cresting over the horizon barely shone it's way through the single window in Judy's room. Just as the first golden rays painted themselves on the opposite wall, the devil's snarl awoke Judy in the form of her alarm clock. It was time for another boring and hellish day at work.

Judy's small fist came crashing down upon the alarm clock, silencing the machine and bringing some solace to her ears. This was how each morning would go. The alarm would ring, and she would get up right away, not quite ready to face the challenges that the day would likely provide for her.

Morning was a struggle now. Her legs always felt like they were about to give out and never did she feel excited about the day ahead like she used to.

Nothing had been the same for weeks. For the last couple weeks, she'd been adjusting to the new management, which was alright for her. She really didn't care about who was running the show down at the precinct as long as they did their best to keep the city a relatively safe place. But her new life was completely different. Judy did not like to talk to others, go out with anyone, or do anything social. All she wanted to do was be alone.

She felt better when she was alone. It reminded her that there really was no hope for her, that she was doomed to live out the rest of her life in fear, and that comforted her, knowing that nothing was going to change like things had just over a month ago.

She wasn't really alone. There were plenty of mammals at work that tried their best to cheer her up, but she really didn't want to be happy. Nick's mother had made it a thing to visit on a nearly daily basis. It was something that Judy actually looked forward to. She was the only mammal that she could really stand the sight of.

Everyone else just made everything worse. They all would go about mentioning Nick and how much they miss him in an effort to try and make her feel better, but it only made Judy have to work harder to hold back her tears.

Judy got up and went through her morning routine to get ready for work. She showered, brushed her fur, made her morning coffee, then was off to the station just like every single day.

It was when she arrived at the station that things got to be really difficult. She would always walk by Clawhauser's desk, who, in a mad attempt to get the old Judy back, would give her the happiest hello in the whole world, using every ounce of cheer in his rotund body to do so. Judy usually replied with a weak and deafened voice, devoid of the usual sing song quality that it was supposed to have. She would make her way to the office on most days and ignore the sad glare that Ben would give her after her pitiful reply.

The well-lit office space on the second floor of the ZPD headquarters constantly hummed with the click-clack of keyboards, the scribbling of pencils, the light chatter of other officers, and occasional footfalls. The sounds seemed to echo in the large room, designed to house mammals of all sizes. Judy Hopps sat facing her computer screen, mindlessly typing up report after report. Whenever she wasn't typing, her head was held up by her arm which rested on the desk.

It wasn't the most comfortable or the most ergonomic position, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting out of the God-forsaken place at five o'clock everyday so she could go home and finally be alone. The last few weeks had taken quite the toll on the rabbit, and mid-January was never the best time of year for her. The cold air combined with the lack of meaningful work to preoccupy her usually put Judy in a less-than-optimistic mood. Now, however, there was nobody that she actually wanted to come into contact with.

She was in her own little world, completely tuning out the one that she was physically in, desperately trying to escape into something better. The real world was no longer a place where she could challenge herself to make the world a better place. It became more of a burden on her entire being, just another thing holding her back from what she really wanted.

But what she wanted was unobtainable.

She wanted things to go back to normal, the way they were just a few months ago, when she didn't have so much as a care in the world and she was happy. What she wouldn't give to have things like that again.

Her depression had sometimes made her irritable, lashing out at some officers for just trying to talk to her. Most officers tried their best to stay away from her, but those that worked with Judy on a regular basis did so with great awareness.

Judy had been working on the same report for nearly two hours when an unwelcome interruption sounded outside her cubicle.

"Hopps, I'd like to see you in my office, now." said the lion.

Chief Jona Leo had only been so for a little over a week, but in that time he'd reestablished several rules and brought the precinct back into effective running shape.

The lion was quite tall, though he was quite well filled out, making him seem all the larger. His mane was always properly groomed and never had a single fur out of place. He took great pride in the way he appeared to his subordinates and always made sure that they knew he was in charge.

When it came to rule following, he was the pickiest. If an officer had so much as the tiniest bit of their shirt untucked, it would be called out, and it wasn't something that he would keep quiet. His seemingly overly strict nature when it came to things as simple as dress code were often called ridiculous by many of the officers, but never was it seen that they would be out of it on any occasion.

Despite his strictness, he wasn't opposed to having a little bit of fun. He'd already scheduled a day designated for pulling pranks on the other officers, but he never mentioned the exact date, probably not a good thing. Other than that, he was pretty much all business with the occasional joke to lighten the mood a little.

Judy heard him speak, but she did not reply, hopefully showing him that she was not about to be interrupted. He was not keen on any disrespect directed towards himself, but he did nothing as she turned to him and simply glared into his cold blue eyes.

"I expect you to be in my office in two minutes or it's parking duty for a month." he said, returning the glare. The lion walked back to his office and Judy sighed slamming her head onto her desk. She didn't want to hear what he had to say to her, but she also didn't want to do parking duty for a whole month. Reluctantly, Judy got up from her chair and slowly made her way to his office.

She had no idea what he would need to talk to her about. But then again, she hadn't exactly been the most outstanding officer during his short time as chief. Her paperwork was sloppy, sometimes unfinished, and her work was finished slowly. It did take quite a while for her to get a report done, but she really didn't care too much. At the moment, she wouldn't even care if he sent her to his office so he could fire her.

Judy approached the office door, standing in front of it and hesitating. She placed her paw on the door and pushed it open. Inside was Chief Leo, which was to be expected, but there were also a couple of other officers who joined him. All of them seemed to be waiting for her, and it made Judy question the reason why she was called to his office. The only other one she recognized was Howlson.

Chief Leo looked down upon the rabbit, a lot more caring than before. Outside of work, he wasn't a picky rule enforcer, but was actually quite the softy. He had two children and loved them dearly, so he had to have a soft side. He liked his officers to be happy, and he didn't want to see Judy the way that she'd been for so long, so he decided to take action.

"Please have a seat." he said, motioning to the only chair in front of his desk. As she sat down, one of the officers walked over to the door and stood in front of it, preventing anyone from entering or exiting.

"What's going on?" Judy asked, confused at the scene that surrounded her. Faxon stepped forward and made eye contact with Judy.

"Hopps, we all care about you very much. I wouldn't be saying that if it weren't true. We want what's best for you. We want you to be happy, and right now, you're not happy. We've tried to help you before, but you keep acting so distant."

"Get to the point." Judy stated coldly.

"The point is, this is an intervention, Judy. You need to get some help, and you're not leaving this office until you agree to it." he said. When Judy heard the words come out of his mouth, she wanted to punch him in the face.

"I need _help_!? Where did you get that crazy idea!?" she said, raising her voice. Chief Leo held up one of his large paws and got in between them.

"Now, now, Officer Hopps. You need to settle down a little. Yes, you do need help. Your work has been suffering and everyone is starting to notice. I can't be having any of my officers slacking off, no matter the situation their in. Nor do I want to see any of my officers in a state such as yours. You are hurting badly, Hopps. I know what you went through, we all do. The whole precinct is still healing, but we kept moving forward. I'm no psychologist, but I can tell that you've been living in the past for nearly a month now."

Judy couldn't think of anything else to say. He was absolutely right. She'd wanted so badly to have her old life back that she continuously dwelled upon it, causing her to become distant and very depressed. She just sat in the chair, paws folded in her lap, trying her best to not make eye contact with any of the others in the room.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she asked.

"I know a guy." Chief Leo began. "Now he _is_ a psychologist, and he can help you feel better. All we want you to do is go see him. If after the first visit you think it's a waste of time, feel free to stop going, but please keep an open mind." Leo said while handing Judy a business card. She took the small card and observed it. It all white with thin black lettering, and only had the name 'Dr. J.W. Holmes' as well as his phone number.

Judy really didn't want to go talk to another mammal about her feelings. It always seemed like such a pointless thing to do. It's not like they know exactly what she's feeling deep down. To Judy, if they didn't experience it, they can't possibly know how to make everything better.

"And what's going to happen if I don't go to this guy at least once?" each of the officers in the room gave each other looks and grins.

"Parking duty for at least two months." Leo said. Judy let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine."

* * *

"So what seems to be the issue?" Dr. Holmes said. Dr. Jefferson William Holmes was a very calm and collected jackal. He was very approachable and had a deep, but very smooth voice. His golden eyes glistened in the late afternoon sunlight that filtered through the shades that covered the windows of his office. His fur was neatly groomed and just about matched the color of his eyes, save for the black patch of fur on his back that was barely visible on the exposed parts of his shoulders and neck.

Judy sighed while laying down on the couch, which was very comfortable. She wanted to say that her crazy fellow officers forced her here, but that would probably be in poor taste. She knew exactly what was wrong.

"I haven't been myself ever since my husband died. I just feel lost and I haven't gotten back on my feet ever since it happened." Judy replied quietly.

"How long has it been since he died?" the doctor asked.

"Since December 15th, 2019, so basically a month."

"It's not uncommon for the feelings of loss to take a while to go away. Sometimes it takes months. But you say you haven't gotten back on your feet since then, can you elaborate on that?"

"Yes, what I mean is that I still feel like he's there in my bed when I wake up. I still feel like he will have a pot of coffee waiting for me when I'm ready to leave for work. I know that he's gone, but I still think he's there." Judy said.

"Judy, have you ever heard of the five stages of grief?" Dr. Holmes asked. Judy shook her head no.

"Well, they go like this." Judy turned her head and gave her full attention to the jackal. "The first one is denial. This is typically when you first find out that a loved one has died. You don't want to think that they're gone, so you deny the facts, saying that they can't possibly be gone."

"The second is anger. Losing someone that you love is a hard thing, and so a lot of emotions can play with your actions. You may feel some anger towards other mammals in an attempt to make yourself feel better, or anger towards the doctor that "couldn't save him" or anything like that."

"The third is bargaining. This stage is all about self blame. You blame yourself for what happened, saying things like 'I should have done more,' 'There had to be another option,' things like that. It's often one of the worst stages."

"The fourth, and the one that I believe you to be in, is depression." Judy's eyes widened a bit as he revealed his thoughts. "Depression is typically the longest and most painful stage of grief that exists. Mammals often feel alone or incapable of doing anything for days, weeks, or months at a time. It is also the most dangerous stage, as mammals diagnosed with depression have unfortunately high suicide rates. You may feel helpless, alone, or useless, or maybe even all three. It is not something to keep hidden."

"The final stage is acceptance. In this stage, mammals have finally brought themselves to terms with their loss, and can live their lives like they used to." Judy liked the sound of that. "It is going to be my goal to get you to that stage as quickly as possible. I can tell that you've been out of the loop ever since Nick's death, and that you want your old life back. I'll do whatever I can to get back the way it was."

As he went through each of the stages, Judy could see a moment in the last month where she was in one of those stages. Right after Nick's passing, she didn't think he was gone, then she yelled at Howlson in anger. The week following, she'd blamed herself for what happened and for not even trying to get Nick some treatment, even though the doctors said that nothing could be done.

Now she was horribly depressed, and it was taking it's toll on everybody.

"Ok, now I want to get down to business. We need to delve deep into that brain of yours, find out exactly what's going on inside there. Is there anything that he said to you before he died?"

Judy didn't have to think long about that.

"Nick gave me a commission. He told me to make the city a utopia. He wanted it to be like how I imagined it when I was little." Dr. Holmes gave Judy a curious look as he lowered his glasses.

"Judy, I guess I was wrong about having to go deep. I want you to strive to fulfill that commission. I think that if you do as he asked and make his dream a reality, you will feel accomplished and feel good, knowing that you've done what he couldn't."

"I think that's a good idea." Judy said, the usual happy tone in her voice beginning to return.

"I believe that's all we have time for today, but I think we made a lot of good progress. I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks." he said.

"I'll definitely be back, thank you Dr. Holmes." Judy said, standing up to shake his paw. Judy left the room and then walked out into the cold January air. While it was cold outside, there was no wind and the sun was shining brightly, so it didn't feel like the middle of January. Judy knew that there was some place that she needed to go, especially today.

She walked down the sidewalk, unfazed by the chill in the air. She walked past many other mammals who were also out and about for the day. Judy walked by City Hall, the large white building towering over everything else nearby. The dome on top had the sun shining on it, which made it look like a bronze-orange color. Judy stared at the large structure. She was always blown away by its intricate architecture, and was jealous of whoever got to work inside, because it was equally as elegant inside, though with a modern touch.

Judy continued down the street for a couple more blocks. When she came to an open gate, she looked at the metal archway that hung above her and turned into her destination. Row upon row of white stones stood a couple of feet above the ground. It was a beautiful sight, each one of them were cared for brilliantly so none of them looked creepy like a cemetery should be.

There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of the headstones sticking out of the ground like neat rows of teeth, all identical to the one next to them, except for the name engraved upon them. Judy broke off the main pathway that snaked through the cemetery and off to a simple, fenced off section. It only contained one headstone, but space for two of them. The left side, which housed the one headstone still had dirt in front of it. No grass had grown, because it was mid January. Left in front of the headstone was a bouquet of flowers. It must have been placed there recently, because they were not wilted.

Judy knelt down in the dirt and placed her paws on her thighs. She stared at the brilliant white headstone, which read:

 **Nicholas P. Wilde**

 **January 14th, 1984**

 **December 15th, 2019**

Judy leaned in close to the headstone and spoke in a hushed voice.

"How's it going, Nick? I hope things have been good for you up there. I know things could be better for me, but I'm not going to give up on you. I'm going to do whatever I can to do what you always wanted."

"Everyone really misses you. I know that for sure. I miss you, but I'm going to keep going, because it's what you would want me to do. I forgot that for a while, though. I'm sorry about that. It's the last thing I would ever want to do to you."

"The plan is just beginning. I haven't made your utopia, but I'm going to do it." Judy looked over to her right where the empty space remained. "When I'm done making your utopia, I'll be with you again. I'll come back to you."

"I can make you this promise, that I'm never going to give up on this city. I'll make it better than it's ever been. I'm not quite sure how to do it yet, but I can't possibly fail with you looking over me from up there." Judy said, looking up towards the sky. The bronze dome of City Hall was barely visible over the treetops that scattered the cemetery. The sight put an idea into Judy's mind.

"But I think I just got an idea on how to do it." Judy stood up and looked towards the entrance to the cemetery. She started to walk away but quickly stopped herself and turned back around.

"I almost forgot about the real reason I came here." Judy paused for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Happy 36th birthday, Nicholas Wilde. I love you."

A smile appeared on her face as a single tear dropped from her eyes. Then she turned back around and made her way back to her apartment.

FIN.

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 **"You carry away with you a reflection of me, a part of me. I dreamed you; I wished for your existence. You will always be a part of my life. If I love you, it must be because we shared, at some moment, the same imaginings, the same madness, the same stage." -Anais Nin**

 **A/N: And there you have it folks! That is almost all for this story! I could just end it here, but I do want to give you a little glimpse of the future with an epilogue.**

 **Speaking of the future, I have mentioned on multiple occasions a sequel for 41 Days. Unfortunately, I have canceled any plans for a sequel as well as my ideas for another story that is not related to 41 Days. So... sorry... :(**

 **A little bit of trivia, this chapter was the hardest chapter I have ever had to write. I got about 2k words down, but then I scrapped the whole thing and started over.**

 **Please leave a review to let me know what you thought of the story! I had a blast writing this, but I want to hear all your thoughts. I also need ideas for a new story, since I scrapped everything I had planned, so please, if you have an idea, don't hesitate to let me know about it.**

 **I want to extend a huge thanks to everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed! I especially want to thank StoryCrusader for giving me tips on how to make my writing better. InvaderJohnny for leaving a review on every single chapter. AngloFalcon for giving me encouragement to keep writing. Finally I want everyone to check out a story that I was asked to beta-read. It's called Silver Arrows and it is absolutely fantastic! Go show you're love on that story!**

 **I couldn't have done it without any of you!**

 **-Ande883  
Hopefully I'm not done writing on this site!**


	18. Epilogue - Hear My Voice

**A/N: I finally got around to the epilogue. Sorry if you've been waiting for it, but I kinda put this on the backburner after I started that other abomination which no longer exists (I shall not say its name). Not much happens in this, but I hope it gives you a bit of a better ending than the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The rabbit was exhausted. Housework was always her least favorite thing to do on a Saturday that she had off. Living all alone didn't help matters, and the fact that her apartment was sized for mammals larger than her made things even worse. But this was the last time she would have to deal with that. She had dealt with that for the last five years and she was getting ready to move out.

She already had a smaller apartment that was ready for her to move into, so she was preparing her current apartment for moving and getting rid of some of the things that she didn't need. Ever since that dreary December day, she kept two beds in the apartment even though the other one hadn't been touched pretty much since that day. She still had some of his clothes in the closet, but she wouldn't get rid of them; his favorite shirt still smelled like him. It had become a comfort item for her; whenever she felt down she would give it a deep inhale through the nostrils and she would instantly feel closer to him. Call it weird, but it worked for her.

The apartment was spotless now after her hours of cleaning that she'd done over the past several hours. All that remained was putting a few things into boxes and let the moving mammals take care of the rest. She decided that could wait for an hour or so and she took a break.

Judy walked into her own bedroom and sat down on the bed. The covers were cold, but it felt nice on her fur. The summer usually made it hard to keep the place cool, but no matter how hot it was the bedsheets were always at the perfect temperature, at least until her body heat warmed them up.

Judy observed the room that she'd lived in for the last several years. So many memories were had in that room and it would be hard to say goodbye to it all. One memory, in particular, was the day that they found out about Nick's diagnosis. They walked into the apartment and Nick kept himself closed in that room for a couple of hours. She'd fallen asleep on the balcony after telling her parents about the day they'd had, but she never knew what he'd done in there. She always just assumed that he did some private reflection or let out some frustration. She never got around to asking him.

She remembered the many nights she'd shared her bed with him and the euphoric feeling that she got whenever he snuggled really close with her. His body heat kept her nice and warm and it usually helped her get some very restful sleep.

But she also remembered the last couple nights that Nick was mostly comprehensible. The day he died was hard on her just because he was in constant pain and could barely speak. The two days before were different. Nick was able to walk, but just barely and he seemed to change for some reason. She painfully recalled the argument that drove Judy to tears and out of their apartment, leaving Nick all alone. The pain from that night was still too fresh in her mind, but she was thankful that she'd gone back when she did. A few hits from a newspaper-wielding Veronica was all it took to set him straight and he apologized for the way he'd treated her. Judy couldn't have possibly stayed mad at him.

The rest of that night was fun, too. Veronica decided she'd stay for a while and they all sat out in the living room talking and telling stories. Nick nearly fell asleep while listening to them talk his ears off, so Judy had to help him back into bed and then they continued their conversation while he slept.

She was brought out of her nostalgia by the glimmer of a metallic object. It was a small gray filing cabinet that sat beneath the desk that was by the bed. It was Nick's. He'd rarely used it, and Judy had never even opened it's drawers before. She didn't know what was in there, but she always thought that it was just random papers and maybe a few things regarding his previous employment or taxes.

Curiosity got the better of her and she got down from the bed. She knelt down by the cabinet and felt the cool metal that constructed it in her paws. She stood up and opened the top drawer which for the most part was empty. It had some manilla folders in it, but none of them had anything in them. She closed the top and then went on to the bottom.

Her shoulders sagged in disappointment when she once again found nothing. She flipped through the manilla folders and almost got excited when she found some papers, but they were all blank. She flipped through the folders once more and sighed in disappointment when she still came up with nothing. But she noticed something else that she had missed the first and second time through. A small envelope was stuck in between two of the folders.

Judy took the envelope and examined it for a while. It had something written in neat writing on the front. "To Judy, a.k.a. Carrots." She couldn't help but chuckle at the realization. _Of course Nick would address a letter like that,_ Judy thought. Judy carefully opened the letter and removed a piece of paper with Nick's instantly recognizable writing all over it. She looked at the right corner of the paper where she saw the date it was written: 11/08/2019. She knew that date. It was the day that Nick was diagnosed. She wasn't sure what kind of note this would be, but she wasn't going to wait to find out. She began at the top:

" _Dear Judy,_

 _I know that things seem a little dark for you right now. By the time you see this I'll probably already be gone, but I just want you to know that I love you. I don't believe in love at first sight, but I think we had a connection from the moment we first met at Jumbeaux's. I don't think I could have gone a day without you after the incident in the Natural History Museum. Well, I guess I went several months without you because of going to the academy, but I think you get the point. I couldn't think about life if we hadn't switched out the serum for blueberries. And by the way, great idea. Literally a life saver ;). I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had hurt or killed you, even though I would have been savage at that point. Because of those feelings, I knew that I had always loved you from the moment we met, and I will never stop even after I'm gone. If there was any way that I could change the past to make sure that I live to see us grow old and maybe adopt a couple of kits, I would do it in a heartbeat. Because I'm in Heaven hustling God right now, you are probably having a rough time trying to live without me, or maybe not, but either way I want you to know that you need to go on. Keep your dream alive; make the world a better place. Even if it's only doing small things to make someone's day better, or to go above and beyond in your duties as an officer, or something bigger than I could imagine. I hope that you will never stop trying for that goal. And if for some reason you find fulfilling that goal to not be worth your time, then for no other reason, do it for me. Because I love you, and I want to see you live in a world where you are happy with how things have gone for you._

 _I wish I could be there for you,_

 _Slick Nick, a.k.a Your best friend and lover."_

Why oh, why did she have to be such a cry-baby? Not even half way through the letter did the tears start to flow from her eyes. She thought back to the end of the letter, where Nick mentioned keeping her dream alive. She recalled a while back when she very nearly ran for mayor. She thought back to the tiny voice in her head that told her she didn't need to do that and that she could make the world a better place in a different way. She wondered if that was Nick telling her it was a completely crazy idea. After she decided it was best if she didn't run for Mayor of Zootopia, she started doing a lot more for the community, donating her time to various projects to help those who need it. Even if it was small, she was making a difference and she was content with that.

She couldn't believe that this had been here all along and she had no clue. Nick never told her about a letter that he wrote her, but it seemed that he wanted her to find it on her own. She kept looking at the date at the top. She finally knew what he was doing in the room the day they found out about his diagnosis. He was writing this, knowing very well that he had no chance of survival. She could see on the paper several marks where it appeared that the paper had been moistened. They were tears that Nick had shed nearly five years ago, and they were soon being joined by her own as they rolled off of her cheeks and onto the paper. One rolled off and hit the very bottom of the letter which brought her attention to some writing that she hadn't seen before.

" _P.S. Lift the top of the filing cabinet."_

Judy wiped her tears and set the letter on the floor as she observed the top of the filing cabinet. She reached up to the top and lifted upwards, a small cover being removed and revealing a small compartment that would fit standard sized sheets of paper. But inside were no sheets of paper, but a small orange carrot pen, and one that she thought had been lost a long time ago. She recognized this as the one she had when she first became a police officer. It was clearly older than the newer one she had and bore several scratch marks, as well as a carving of an "N&J" surrounded by a heart. Judy tenderly picked up the pen like it was a fragile artifact from the stone ages or was worth millions of dollars.

To her, this was priceless.

Judy felt the pen in her paws and rubbed the button on the side with her thumb. Part of her wanted to hear what Nick had most likely recorded on the pen, but another part of her dreaded what he might sound like. She knew when he wrote the letter, but she wasn't sure if the recording was from later or not. The thought of hearing Nick with his frail and broken voice again was too much to bear, but she depressed the button while closing her eyes and flinching.

"Don't worry, Carrots. I'm not leaving forever. Whenever you want to hear my voice, just remember the pen. I love you even more than you can possibly imagine."

Judy opened her eyes and quickly looked behind her. That voice, it had sounded so real like he was right behind her, whispering tenderly into her ears. She didn't believe what she heard. She pressed the button again.

A wave of relief fell upon Judy like a blanket that warmed her soul. His voice, she was really hearing his voice again. He sounded so happy like nothing bad had happened. Judy smiled and played the message again, and again, and again. She never wanted to stop hearing him say that he loved her. She couldn't believe it had taken her this long to find the letter. It was his final mark upon the world for her to find. Judy held the pen and letter close to her heart and closed her eyes. After a few moments of complete silence, she spoke out loud.

"I'll never stop loving you."

* * *

 **A/N: So now Forty One Days is officially over! Hooray! I finally got off my lazy bum and finished it! But I've been busy with the new story for the last very long time (IKD how long it's been XD).**

 **Speaking of that, if you want to see the summary of that story, check it out on my profile, I've got it there. And also, I would like some feedback from you guys. I have a few chapters complete, and I was originally planning on finishing the whole story before I post the first chapter publicly. Let me know in a review whether you want me to start now, or wait until I'm all done. It will still be a few weeks because finals are just around the corner and then I'm going straight from school to Arizona for a week. After that, I'll be free to do whatever, so hopefully, if I do end up waiting for the whole thing it would be out before the end of June.**

 **See ya soon!**

 **-Ande**


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